As 2017 draws to a close, it’s time to look ahead to what awaits us and we ask our panel of industry leaders to share their thoughts and personal wishes for the year to come, Part 1.

Fritz Demopoulos, CEO, Queen’s Road Capital, Hong Kong

• One word to describe 2017: Marketplaces
• One word to describe 2018: Experiences

One key lesson I learnt in 2017: No matter one’s position, one needs to keep learning and staying relevant

I am most concerned about … the stability of the financial system, keeping predatory governments and tech conglomerates in check, the spectre of inflation and the corruption of fiat currency, excesses and financial imbalances

I am most excited about … local tours & activities, the third pillar of travel distribution

The tech I want to invest in/or find out more about: human-computer interaction (HCI); quantum, biological and DNA computing; alternative propulsion systems; terraforming

One destination I want to visit for leisure: Patagonia

I predict: Tencent will become a major player within travel distribution; the established tech eco-systems of Beijing, San Francisco, London and Tel Aviv will have to share the spotlight with the emerging eco-systems of Berlin, Los Angeles, Shenzhen, Paris and Tokyo; traditional tour operators will start innovating in interesting ways; new accommodation concepts will emerge to meet the requirements of millennials.

Ross Veitch, CEO & Co-founder, Wego

• One word to describe 2017: Interesting times! (May you live in!)
• One word to describe 2018: Opportunity

One key lesson I learnt in 2017: Far too many people either take for granted, or are completely oblivious to, the essential role the US has played since WWII, underpinning the global peace, stability and providing the framework for international trade and economic development.

I am most concerned about … the potential for global instability resulting from a US administration disengaged from international affairs and taking a cavalier approach to foreign policy.

I am most excited about … social and economic reforms taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (which is a big market for Wego)

The tech I want to invest in/or find out more about: Machine learning, neural-nets, self-learning systems

One destination I want to visit for leisure: New Orleans. I went to the New Orleans JazzFest when I was an 18-year-old backpacker and had a fabulous time. Memo to Phocuswright: How about New Orleans as a venue for the next Phocuswright Conference?

I predict … we’ll see accelerating change across many fronts.

Rod Cuthbert, Chairman, Rome2rio

• One word to describe 2017: Shocking.
• One word to describe 2018: Premature.

One key lesson I learnt in 2017: Anything can happen, and often does.

I am most concerned about: Another crash.

I am most excited about: Life in general.

The tech I want to invest in/or find out more about: APIs. Boring, I know; but it’s what makes our industry go around…

One destination I want to visit for leisure: Hong Kong

I predict… That the online travel landscape will look very different at the end of 2018; the fall from grace of a major player and the rise of some “outsider” companies will shift the sands of our market dramatically. 2018 will give the talking heads in travel tech plenty to gab about!

Read the full article here.