Internet boom. 9/11. The financial crisis. The COVID pandemic. ChatGPT. The list goes on.

The last 30 years have been full of course-changing events and technological innovations since Philip Wolf founded Phocuswright in 1994. The world has become digitalized with travel shifting largely online and expected to account for nearly 65% of all bookings by 2026, according to Phocuswright's Global Travel Market report.

And some industry leaders have had a front row seat to those changes while pushing travel towards the future.

Bob Diener, president and co-founder of the Travel Funders Network and co-founder of Hotels.com, is among that group, as is Melissa Maher, founder and CEO of the Pinnacle Enterprises Group and a former Expedia Group executive and Rod Cuthbert, founder of Viator, who was inducted into the Phocuswright Hall of Fame last month.

As Phocuswright celebrates its 30-year anniversary, the trio took some time to look back and look ahead at the world of travel in a discussion with senior reporter Morgan Hines in the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference.

Internet boom.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/past-travel-trauma-offers-few-clues-for-future" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">9/11</a>. The financial crisis. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/Coronavirus" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">COVID pandemic</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/ai-two-years-chatgpt-future-adoption" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">ChatGPT</a>. The list goes on.
The last 30 years have been full of course-changing events and technological innovations since Philip Wolf founded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswright.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Phocuswright&nbsp;</a>in 1994. The world has become digitalized with travel shifting largely online and expected to account for nearly 65% of all bookings by 2026, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswright.com/Travel-Research/Market-Overview-Sizing/Global-Travel-Market-Report-2024" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Phocuswright's Global Travel Market</a>&nbsp;report. And some industry leaders have had a front row seat to those changes while pushing travel towards the future.
Bob Diener, president and co-founder of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.travelfundersnetwork.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Travel Funders Network</a>&nbsp;and co-founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hotels.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Hotels.com</a>, is among that group, as is Melissa Maher, founder and CEO of the&nbsp;<a href="https://pinnacleenterprisesgroup.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Pinnacle Enterprises Group</a>&nbsp;and a former&nbsp;<a href="https://expediagroup.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Expedia Group</a>&nbsp;executive&nbsp;and Rod Cuthbert, founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.viator.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">Viator</a>, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/phocuswright-hall-fame-peluso-cuthbert#:~:text=Phocuswright%20inducts%20Michelle%20Peluso%20and%20Rod%20Cuthbert%20to%20Hall%20of%20Fame,-Online&amp;text=Phocuswright%20welcomed%20two%20new%20inductees,Michelle%20Peluso%2C%20CEO%20at%20Revlon." data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">inducted into the Phocuswright Hall of Fame last month.</a>
As Phocuswright celebrates its 30-year anniversary, the trio took some time to look back and look ahead at the world of travel in a discussion with senior reporter Morgan Hines in the PhocusWire studio at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phocuswrightconference.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="5cadecf187056a000ef37147">The Phocuswright Conference</a>.

A regular dissection of the news, issues and trends in travel and technology, featuring interviews with industry executives and entrepreneurs and hosted by PhocusWire editors.

A regular dissection of the news, issues and trends in travel and technology, featuring interviews with industry executives and entrepreneurs and hosted by PhocusWire editors.

In Phocus is a regular dissection of the news, issues and trends in travel and technology, featuring interviews with industry executives and entrepreneurs and hosted by PhocusWire editors.

In Phocus

As Phocuswright celebrates its 30-year anniversary, the trio of industry veterans took some time to look back and look ahead at the world of travel in a discussion with senior reporter Morgan Hines in the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference.

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