The TDM Global Summit Singapore held earlier this week at the InterContinental Singapore served to give gathered industry professionals food for thought as to the direction global travel and tourism are taking within the current decade and beyond.
Featuring speakers from various sectors within the industry, the Summit served as a sounding board for ideas and upcoming innovations that could shape the future of travel throughout the world.
That said, we present five key insights presented during the Summit and how these are changing the game in terms of hospitality, travel, aviation, and tourism.
Sustainability is a necessity rather than an option
Given the recent natural disasters which are seen as a result of climate change, global travel is scrambling to offer the world better, greener options for more sustainable operations.
We heard throughout the Summit that, rather than just another item to be ticked off a checklist, companies need to take sustainability seriously, essentially integrating environment-friendly and community-centric practices into their industrial DNA.
Rather than mere bragging rights, green certifications are seen as badges of honour and commitment among companies that seek to make their operations safer for the environment and more beneficial to their host communities.
Sustainability also means considering local traditions and the preservation thereof, especially at a time when both cultural appropriation and the invasiveness of overtourism are rife.
Whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay
We are currently in the throes of another industrial revolution, so to speak: a revolution involving the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the globe.
While many remain sceptical as to what practical benefit AI will have on their respective industries, AI is proving to be a boon as a tool for automation as it simplifies key back-of-the-house processes, making operations more efficient in the long run.
At the same time, the use of generative AI for trip planning has been rapidly gaining ground among end-consumers who are using it to scope out possible itineraries, search for the best deals, and even book their hotels, flights, and tours of choice.
As the Thais say: Healing is the new luxury
Health and wellness have been pointed out as integral elements of the contemporary luxury experience.
However, these now go beyond booking a massage or a rejuvenating treatment at a hotel spa; indeed, the scope now covers digital detoxes in far-flung regions like Bhutan and the Himalayas; spiritual retreats in India, in Basque mountain monasteries, or even quaint resorts in Thailand and Indonesia; and wellness rituals rooted in ancient traditions throughout the world.
Some of our luxury experts inadvertently leaned towards Thailand’s 2026 thematic Healing is the New Luxury, citing how people are willing to spend more to get themselves back on an even keel both physically and spiritually, along with their willingness to try treatments well beyond their comfort zones in the hope that these will lead to a full reset.
Of course, talking about wellness tourism also opens up the topic for health and medical tourism which have helped boost arrival numbers for various countries, including Thailand, Mexico, and Turkiye, given how patients from the west make their way over to seek reasonably priced yet highly effective treatment.
More people are turning to socials for travel inspiration
Social media has a major part to play when it comes to giving people ideas as to where to go, when to go, and what to do when they get there.
Indeed, several experts pointed out how some travellers will head to their travel agent of choice or check out OTAs online armed with ideas they gleaned from watching someone’s content on TikTok or Instagram.
This notion was initially posited to us at an earlier event wherein EternityX founder Charlene Ree pointed out how travel content featured on Chinese social networks Rednote, Douyin, and WeChat has spurred a greater interest in travel among China’s younger people.
While those online won’t really go for an exact shot-by-shot itinerary like the influencers, what they see online is enough to push them into making bookings and driving them to their destinations of choice.
We may be looking at the rise of privately-chartered aviation
Luxury travel is evolving at a rapid clip, and one aspect of the sector is chartered aviation.
In recent months, we’ve noted how several chartered flight services have announced their expansion into new markets or their acquisition of smaller firms in order to expand their footprint in key markets.
While mentioned fleetingly during the CEO Breakfast that preceded the summit proper, it certainly piqued the interest of C-suite attendees who see chartered aviation as a perk that luxury travellers look forward to, something that takes their trips from being humdrum to exceptional.
Taking a closer look at the matter following the Summit, we noted that the number of people taking chartered flights rather than commercial ones has increased within this year.
Incidentally, private aviation may no longer be the exclusive perk of the moneyed class, as global companies are beginning to see its benefits as a more effective, if not efficient, way of ferrying their people from one officer to another anywhere in the world.
