Are you all in? Is AI transforming the travel industry?

AI is more than just a buzzword—it's transforming the travel industry in profound ways. From personalized trip planning to real-time customer support, artificial intelligence is reshaping how we explore the world. Expedia Group, a leader in travel technology, is at the forefront of this evolution. In this session, we’ll uncover key AI-driven trends that are redefining the travel experience and explore what the near future holds for travelers and industry professionals alike.

The constantly shifting of economic and travel-related factors is making forecasting more difficult and more important than ever before. Wendy Kheel, Sr. Manager at Tourism Economics, will identify these factors and how they are or might be impacting the hotel industry and travel and tourism.

Wendy Kheel , TTMA President Client Manager, Tourism Economics

Wendy Kheel is acknowledged for expertise in tourism research, data,trends and marketing strategy and for presentations at a wide range of travel industry conferences and seminars.

She joined Tourism Economics focusing on Symphony, a customizable market intelligence platform. Symphony is designed to help Destination Marketing Organizations eliminate the time and drudgery of processing and visualizing a myriad of data sources and data sets.

Prior to Tourism Economics, she was Vice President of Tourism Insights for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board where she oversaw global research and data analysis enabling the organization and its stakeholders to formulate fact-based marketing, sales and business decisions.

Prior to LA Tourism, she was Director, Consumer Insights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Director of Market Research at Walt Disney Imagineering, and a Senior Manager at two hospitality-industry consulting firms; Laventhol & Horwath, and PKF Consulting (now CBRE).

She has a Masters of Hotel Administration from Cornell University, an MBA from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor of Speech from Northwestern University.

Carly Weinstein Senior Area Manager, Expedia

Carly Weinstein brings over 17 years of experience driving strategic growth across the hospitality industry, with a background spanning hotel, airlines, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and online travel agencies (OTAs).

She currently co-leads Expedia’s Los Angeles-based Market Management team alongside Thiago Martins, where they have the opportunity to support our LA based hotels with strategies that will attract global travelers.

As a Los Angeles native, Carly has a deep-rooted passion for the city—its vibrant culture, diverse neighborhoods, and unique experiences make promoting LA both natural and rewarding.

Thiago Martins Senior Manager of Account Management, Expedia

Thiago Martins is a seasoned hospitality and travel industry leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategic growth, partner success, and operational excellence.

Currently serving as Senior Manager of Account Management at Expedia Group, Thiago leads high-performing teams across the Los Angeles market, leveraging deep expertise in sales strategy, partner relations, and team development.

Prior to this role, he held multiple positions in the OTA space, across major US cities such as Miami and San Francisco. Thiago’s foundation in hospitality was built through progressive roles on the Hotel side, where he gained hands-on experience in revenue management and hotel operations.

His career reflects a strong commitment to innovation, collaboration, and delivering value in dynamic, customer-centric environments.