Shannon Knapp’s insider travel tip: talk to the young staff at the hotel you’re staying at. They know the coolest places to go to. “Of course, the concierge is wonderful at facilitating unique insider experiences. But if you really want to experience a destination, find out where the younger folks hang out,” says Knapp.
The travel veteran is president and CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World, which represents over 400 hotel properties. She’s been with the organisation for a decade and rose to her current position just before the pandemic reared its ugly head.
With travel returning full throttle, Knapp’s luggage has sat on a lot of hotel room racks around the world. One trend she’s noticed is the rise of responsible travel. The concept has existed for years but has gained traction as society’s focus on the environment and community has grown. “The luxury traveller is now expecting this to be part of the core experience. Five years ago, it was just a nice-to-have. Today, many are committed to leaving a destination better than they found it,” says Knapp.
Wellness-themed itineraries are also becoming popular, according to the New Yorker. Besides well-appointed rooms, travellers also look for hotels with excellent spa and fitness facilities. Yoga retreats, bootcamps, and other similar activities have become de rigueur, and Knapp believes these will only continue to grow.
She has also given considerable thought to artificial intelligence (AI) in the travel industry. Many are already using ChatGPT to create itineraries from scratch and organisations have begun incorporating AI to automate low-value backend tasks. A third use case involves sorting through mountains of data to ensure customers’ happiness and a hotel’s operational efficiency.
“Using AI, a hotel can identify the right marketing channels and customise plans to maximise occupancy. There’s tremendous insight that can be gleaned from customers’ data,” says Knapp.
As with any technological leap forward, jobs will be lost, but Knapp believes new roles will emerge. The key is to stay abreast of developments because humans will always want to travel and explore.
Knapp’s Non-Exhaustive List Of Favourite Hotels
Palace Hotel Tokyo —
“I haven’t stayed here yet, but I’ve heard so much about it. The views are amazing.”
The Greenwich Hotel, New York —
“This is one of my favourite hotels in the world. It’s fantastic and is in a great location.”
Baur au Lac, Zurich —
“I love the diversity of Switzerland. You can find mountains and lakes within a short distance of each other, and this hotel is great to experience both.”
