For the third year in a row, Travel Trends has returned as the official podcast partner of the Adventure Travel World Summit. Its latest Event Spotlight episode was recorded in Québec City from 14–17 September 2026, and it is the longest in the series so far, with seven hours of conversations featuring more than 35 voices from across the adventure travel community. Most segments run about 15 minutes, so listeners can choose a conversation, meet someone new and explore at their own pace.
Setting the Scene in Québec
The episode opens with ATTA CEO Shannon Stowell and Board Chairman Erik Blachford, former CEO of Expedia and IAC Travel, reflecting on the days ahead. Marie-Hélène Hudon of the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec (Bonjour Québec) then shares the host destination's perspective. The episode also features both keynote speakers, Leigh Barnes, President North America at Intrepid Travel, and marketing leader Aizaz Sheikh, who offer their views on where the industry is heading.
A Cross-Section of the Adventure Travel Community
From there, the episode moves through a wide range of the people who make up our community. Listeners will hear from fast-growing tour operators such as Impulse Travel Colombia, Neotropic Expeditions, Gondwana Ecotour and Radventures, and from cycling specialists including Bike Odyssey and BikesPlus and ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours. Destination leaders are well represented too, with voices from Chile Tourism Board, the Japan National Tourism Organization, the Vanuatu Tourism Office and Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association.
The lineup also includes the storytellers, strategists and technology teams who help adventure businesses thrive, among them GLP Films, Red Thread Strategy & Storytelling, TourOptima, LiquidSpark and Sustainable Travel International. Across these conversations, guests share the trends they are watching, lessons from their own journeys and ideas to help businesses prepare for 2027.
The Spirit of the Summit
Alongside the business insights, the episode reflects on what made Québec memorable. The Pre-Summit Adventures and the Day of Adventure gave delegates a chance to connect long before they sat down for a meeting, and the generosity, curiosity and love of adventure that grew from those shared experiences carried through the entire Summit. In the episode's own words, it is a gathering "where old friends greet you with a hug, new connections quickly become friendships, and people genuinely want to help each other succeed."
Looking Ahead to Andalucía
The episode closes with ATTA President Gustavo Timo looking ahead to 2027, followed by Magí Castelltort Claramunt, Director at Turespaña, announcing the next host destination: Almería, in Andalucía, Spain. The Adventure Travel World Summit 2027 takes place 4–7 October 2027, with Pre-Summit Adventures the week before.
For those who were in Québec, the episode is a chance to revisit the conversations they enjoyed and catch the ones they missed. For those who could not attend, it offers a sense of the energy and goodwill that bring so many members of our community back to the Summit year after year.
Listen to the full Event Spotlight episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music.