Tariffs, drop-offs, shutdowns, "integrity" fees, H2-B visa caps, FAA staffing and hardware issues, airport restrictions ... it all begs the question: Does the U.S. government hate it's own travel industry?

International travel is predicted to drop by 6.3% from 72.4 million in 2024 to 67.9 million in 2025, according to U.S. Travel Association. This year we are poised to be the only country in the WORLD where inbound tourism decreased. Travel and tourism accounts for approximately 2.5-3% of the U.S. GDP, supports 15 million American jobs, and via taxes accounts for almost 7% of all government income. So, we should take global competition for travel dollars a bit more seriously, no?

AI was, predictably, everywhere, all at once, in every session at this year's conference, but there was a distinctly humanist air to it all as well. Trust, connection, authenticity, reality, face-to-face communication were thematic touchstones throughout. We still want recommendations from real live honest-to-goodness human beings, and AI can help facilitate that. (Right?)

No Show is at the 2025 Phocuswright Conference this week talking to a variety of exhibitors, innovators, and speakers and taking their temperature on the present and future of travel technology. We found out that:

• Levee founder Al Lagunas is done with the 3 pm check-in
• Ron Glickman from Innovation Launch People’s Choice Award Winner Acai Travel is ready for boundaries to be pushed
• Taylor Palmer from SiriusXM Connect is putting safety at your fingertips
• Etraveli Group's Peny Rizou has a prophecy about the future of fraud prevention
• The inimitable Mickey Beyer-Clausen from Timeshifter is thinking about the rhythms of life
• Tourism Tasmania CMO Lindene Cleary loves changing perceptions
• And Mirko Lalli from Data Appeal believes in the dual power of democratization and simplification