Personalization has long been positioned as the future of
travel, yet meaningful progress remains elusive. At The Phocuswright Conference
in San Diego, industry leaders unpacked why delivering truly personalized,
emotionally resonant travel experiences is so difficult and what it will
take to move forward.
Madeline List, manager of research and special projects at
Phocuswright, moderated the interactive session, sponsored by Sutherland.
The conversation brought together perspectives from across the travel ecosystem,
with Neil Geurin of American Airlines, Sindhu Shekharan of Sutherland and Jeffrey Wright of Allianz Partners.
The panelists discussed real-world barriers to
personalization, from fragmented data and legacy systems to consumer trust,
regulatory constraints and ROI uncertainty. They also shared practical use
cases, particularly related to how artificial intelligence is having an impact on
customer experience and why empathy and service still matter as much as
algorithms.
Watch the full session to hear where personalization stands
today and how travel brands can design experiences that reduce
stress, build trust and create lasting loyalty.
From Discovery to Departure – Designing Effortless Experiences
And then Shekharan continued the conversation in the
PhocusWire studio with Phocuswright senior vice president of content Mitra
Sorrells. Watch that interview below.
From our partners at The Phocuswright Conference 2025: Sutherland