Geopolitics, economic volatility, technology and rapidly shifting consumer behaviour will reshape how destinations compete, according to PATA Travel Mart 2026 Knowledge Forum speaker Gary Bowerman, managing director of Check-in Asia.
Bowerman said on Tuesday that tourism had become increasingly embedded in economic planning, trade negotiations and diplomacy as the industry contends with conflicts, trade protectionism, currency volatility, energy shocks and climate risks. Despite these pressures, travel demand remained resilient, although rising fuel costs put constant pressure on tourism economies.
He also highlighted the strength of intra-regional travel in Asia-Pacific since the post-Covid rebound, alongside a fundamental shift in how younger consumers view travel.
Rather than seeing themselves simply as tourists, they increasingly incorporate travel into a broader “lifestyle economy” that encompasses interests such as beauty, entertainment, technology, fashion, food and mobility.
Additionally, Bowerman reflected on how travel demand across the region was becoming harder to predict. Growing value sensitivity, currency volatility and shifting supply-demand patterns are complicating travel planning, while generally short booking windows make it harder for businesses to match capacity with demand.
This is compounded by the speed at which younger Asian travellers adopt new trends, making it increasingly challenging for the industry to anticipate and respond to changing preferences.
Technology will add another layer to this rapid change.
“The big challenge for everybody going forward is going to be to leverage the AI convergence,” Bowerman said, pointing to the growing integration of generative, agentic and embodied AI into travel planning, payments, mobility and other services.
