Next Generation Leaders: The Unconference, powered by Booking.com, set the tone for WiT Singapore: The Next 20 with a room full of under-35 rising leaders prepared to challenge how travel will be built, led and governed in the decades ahead. Held alongside WiT Singapore, the Unconference moved quickly from big-picture context, how the last 20 years shaped online travel in Asia, to the urgent realities facing the industry today: accelerating AI adoption, shifting traveller expectations, and Asia’s growing influence on the global travel narrative.
Across rapid-fire panels and collaborative breakouts, one theme was consistent: leadership is becoming more human, not less. Discussions explored how AI is now a standing boardroom topic, how trust is increasingly built through real stories and lived experiences, and why inspiration remains the unbreakable starting point of the travel funnel — even as technology redraws it. Participants also co-defined the leadership qualities they believe will matter most in the next 20 years, including human-centred thinking, cultural fluency, ethical growth, clear communication, and the ability to lead through uncertainty and complexity.
That future-facing mindset culminated in Travel Hack 2045, where next-gen leaders imagined everything from accessibility-first travel and instant language translation to zero-impact tourism and identity-based passports; bold ideas that were later shared on the WiT Main Stage. To relive the energy and hear these perspectives firsthand, watch the video recap of Next Generation Leaders: The Unconference.
For a deeper dive into the insights, leadership frameworks and ideas shaping the next chapter of travel, download the full Next Generation Leaders: The Unconference report, which brings together the key takeaways, discussions and visions captured from the room.
