Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the travel industry at lightning speed, promising unparalleled efficiency, personalized guest experiences, and data-driven sustainability. Yet, beneath the surface of this exciting frontier lie complex questions about environmental costs, ethical responsibility, and the irreplaceable value of the human touch. 

The conversation has moved beyond whether we should use AI to how we can use it responsibly to benefit the guests, the teams, and the planet.

This was the main focus of our recent virtual Asia Travel Future Summit, "Will AI Drive or Derail the Sustainable Travel Transformation?" 

We gathered some of the sharpest minds in technology and tourism to cut through the hype and offer practical advice. 

The discussion was candid, insightful, and refreshingly straightforward, showing a clear path forward for hospitality professionals who want to leverage AI's power without compromising their commitment to sustainability.

From the environmental impact of data centers to the psychology of food waste in hotel kitchens, no topic was off-limits.

Biophilic design isn’t about plants; it's a powerful operational system for enhancing the guest experience, driving revenue, and boosting sustainability. This webinar offers practical, evidence-based strategies on retrofitting, sensory design, and budget-friendly implementations that you can apply immediately to create spaces that deliver tangible business results for your hotel or resort.

Ngalung Kalla in Sumba, Indonesia

Asia’s hospitality industry is facing a culinary crisis. Climate change threatens staple crops, global supply chains remain unstable and expensive, and rising guest expectations are adding pressure. These combined challenges demand urgent solutions.

In a nutshell, the way Asia eats and how hotels and restaurants serve food must change.

At the recent AST webinar, Breaking the Chain to Save It: How Asia’s Hospitality Can Fix Food Systems, three leaders showed what change looks like on the ground:

• Peggy Chan, Executive Director, Zero Foodprint Asia (ZFPA)

• Andrew Dixon, Founder & CEO, Nikoi and Cempedak Islands

• Bjorn Low, Co-founder & Chief Urban Farmer, Edible Garden City 

Their message was clear. To help create more sustainable food systems, the hospitality industry must address both ends of the chain: upstream and downstream.

Upstream focuses on food production: what we grow and how we grow it. Downstream is about processing and consumption: how food is transported, packaged, and served, and managed to minimize waste. Both ends must work together, driven by collaboration, data-backed metrics, and guest experiences that build trust and transparency.

How can sustainability evolve from a series of isolated efforts into a unified mission championed by every member of your team? 

This question was at the heart of our recent webinar, where Dimitri Syrris, Founder & CEO of Baotree, and I explored how to transform sustainability into an inclusive, shared responsibility within hospitality operations.

We discussed why this approach is more critical than ever for the hospitality and travel sector and shared actionable insights, compelling examples, and innovative tools to help professionals create a team-driven sustainability roadmap.