Last night, we gathered at The Ned – a hotel and members club building that knows a thing or two about reinvention – to discuss The Future of Travel.

What unfolded was less about destinations and more about how travel is changing us.

Moderating an insightful conversation with Jenny Southan, founder and CEO of Globetrender and Catt McLeod, Vice President of Elegant Hotel Collection, one theme kept resurfacing: travel is no longer about escape alone. It’s about identity, emotion, connection and intention.

Here are my five biggest takeaways.

We’re no longer travelling just to “switch off”. Increasingly, we’re travelling to shift something — our mindset, our health, our sense of self.

Jenny spoke powerfully about the rise of the transformation economy, where travellers seek experiences that deliver emotional or psychological change. This doesn’t always mean dramatic reinvention, often it’s quieter: clarity, confidence, renewed energy. We loved hearing about Jenny’s personal experience of a magic mushroom retreat in Jamaica and what she learned personally from this.

The implication of the transformation economy for brands? Travel that simply looks good is no longer enough. It has to do something: emotionally, mentally, physically.

Wellness travel is approaching trillion-dollar scale globally, but what struck me most is how normalised it has become.

Guests aren’t asking for wellness menus or bolt-on spa treatments anymore. They expect sleep-supportive rooms, nourishing food, movement woven into the day, and environments that help regulate their nervous system — without being told that’s what’s happening.

As we discussed on the panel, the most compelling wellness today is invisible. When guests say, “I always sleep better here,” that’s the success metric.

One of the most resonant moments came when we talked about how luxury is being redefined.

Jenny’s coining of “soft status” captures this beautifully: luxury is no longer about exclusivity alone, but about how an experience makes you feel: calm, restored, inspired, understood.

Catt added that this is where independent hotels truly shine. Properties that are rooted in place, history and community offer something chain-standardised luxury can’t replicate: emotional texture.

Luxury today is not louder. It’s more personal.

There’s a growing confidence in how people travel.

Guests are choosing hotels and experiences that reflect who they are, not what they think they should want. Whether that’s a storied property, a niche interest, or a slower, more intentional trip – conformity is out. And even if interests are incredible niche (dry stone walling anyone?), guests are not afraid to ask.

As Catt shared, independence isn’t just about ownership structure; it’s about freedom of expression. And that applies just as much to business travel as leisure.

Travel has become a form of self-curation.

One of the most hopeful themes of the evening was the return of shared experience.

In Palm’s own research, we talk about communal contentment, a response to increasingly digital, individual lives. On the panel, this showed up in conversations about sauna culture, group wellness, communal rituals and event-led travel.

Jenny linked this to the rise of the Endorphin Economy: experiences designed to create awe, joy and collective emotion.

If there was one thread running through the evening, it was this:
The future of travel isn’t about more, it’s about meaning.

Thank you to Jenny, Catt, and everyone who joined us at The Ned for such a thoughtful, generous conversation.

The future feels complex, but also incredibly exciting.

Subscribe to receive notifications on the latest Case Studies, Insight and Blog releases.