Episode 13: The State of Travel Today

In a normal year, the global cruise industry might derive more than $32 billion from the U.S. market. But in 2020, that usual income flood slowed to a trickle as pandemic-fearing travelers put their vacations on indefinite hold. 

In this installment of the Ahead of the Curve Podcast, Chris Henry examines the current state of the travel industry and checks in with Andy Stuart, the former CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, to get an insider’s eye on the challenges facing travel organizations today.

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During their conversation, the pair unpack:

2:58 — What the airline and hotel industries are doing to reassure consumers and make safety part of their brand message

7:10 — Why Andy Stuart believes that the cruise industry, currently under a no-sail order, will return in full force

8:51 — Which short-term regulatory and messaging hurdles cruise providers will need to overcome to reestablish normal demand patterns

12:30 — What Norwegian Cruise Line has done to proactively define the cruise industry’s gold standard for health and safety 

Episode Guests:

Andy Stuart

Andy Stuart is a travel industry expert with over three decades of experience in the global cruise industry. He served as the president of Norwegian Cruise Lines, one of the most well-regarded cruise providers in the world, for 31 years. During that time, he established himself as an executive leader with broad cross-functional experience who is capable of developing strong external relationships and delivering industry-leading bottom-line outcomes. He currently serves as an independent consultant for travel organizations. 

Ketta Riley

Travel & Hospitality Practice Lead, Gerent

Ketta Riley has over 35 years of travel and hospitality leadership experience, ten of which have been spent working on Salesforce implementations. At Gerent, she leverages her CRM expertise and extensive knowledge of industry market trends to facilitate digital transformations within the travel sector.