16 "Skift Megatrends" thoughts during a London to Athens flight

My visit to London this week, ended up to be more interesting that I could have ever imagined. The reason for this trip was the Skift Forum Europe, which turned out to be a business life-changing stop, that I would have never predicted. Having already visited some of the top Tourism events around the world over the past eight years, my expectations are rarely exceeded — after all, as a person I tend to be extremely conservative towards the promises each event gives. But Skift Forum, was a completely different experience, that not only gave me new ideas on how to further develop my two major tourism brands ( (Travel by Interest & Hotelier Academy) but also provided me with a new perspective as a professional. As I will extensively talk about my exciting “Skift Forum Experience” in one of my next articles, I would like to end this small tribute by saying that "you can reach only what you can see and touch" — and Skift surely gives you this opportunity! 

Being truly inspired by this one-day experience, I decided to devote my spare time on the plane during my flight back to Athens, to read the special edition of "Skift Megatrends - Defining Travel in 2019" and discover more about this great Organization that is much more than a media, producing everything needed for tourism evolution. And that investment of time was a real treasure, since, after reading the rich content written by some of the top professionals in the tourism industry, I came back to the office having a clear picture of what should be my next steps, as well as how to apply this knowledge to my personal and professional development.

For this reason, I have decided to share my initial thoughts on the amazing content of Skift Megatrends and invite every single professional to download it and dive into its bright ideas. Of course, I have to make clear that my conclusions are fully subjective and each professional can win something different based on their own experience and personal thoughts:

• The Wellness DNA goes beyond ordinary facilities and activities and must be reflected in the culture of the human resource.
• Travellers need a more independent handle of the information, away from strict structures and laws.
• Destination marketing transforms into Experience management, achieving more stable and long-term results.
• Luxury becomes cheap when Premium Mediocre falsely uses the term; brands should pay serious attention to this.
• Upgraded Upselling methods through machine learning tools, can lead to real-time personalization & offers.
• Accommodation types merged in a cause for one goal: the optimum guest experience!
• Companies should search their "blind spots" for personalization opportunities that will boost satisfaction and sales.
• Traditional tourist “hits" lose their glam when alternative ideas take place and come in the frontline.
• Second-priority cities take advantage of investing in business facilities or leisure beyond the ordinary.
• Tours & Activities steal the thunder from Hotels, in the modern OTA strategy.
• Low-cost airlines become demystified, as travellers focus on quality, and traditional airlines become more in the know.
• Travel Giants should start thinking on how to show that they care more about what they offer to their clients than how to increase profit margins, in order to preserve their customers' loyalty. 
• After Food, Wellness tourism takes the lead, focusing more on the overall well-being experience than the ordinary facilities.
• Loyalty Programs should define their existence, as technology and consuming behaviour become more mature over time.
• Recruiting methods call for more sophistication, in the lack of human staff to fill the uncovered positions.
• With the consolidation of technology within the travellers' life, brands need to focus on their initial aim to serve people in a natural way.

Becoming “wiser” after reading the really advanced content of Skift Megatrends and translating its context to my own assumptions, I feel happy to add this excellent brand into my daily habits, and be among the international professionals who work hard for developing the "tourism of tomorrow", and are not just extending the "tourism of the past".