The Journey Is the Destination: Reinventing Travel Marketing

Travel brands are redefining the journey by moving beyond destinations to create personalized, culturally relevant experiences at every touchpoint.

On this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Jenny Rooney brings together Sheretha Bell of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Eliot Hamlisch of Amtrak, and Brad Hiranaga of Marriott to explore how the industry is responding to changing traveler expectations. The conversation examines how transportation brands are turning the journey itself into part of the experience, while destinations connect with travelers through passions, identity, and culture.

The guests also discuss personalization, first-party data, loyalty ecosystems, and the growing influence of AI and ChatGPT on travel discovery. From Amtrak’s unexpected social strategy to Atlanta’s handwritten postcard activation and Marriott’s expansive Bonvoy ecosystem, the episode reveals how brands can combine technology and data with creativity and genuine human connection to drive engagement, loyalty, and revenue.

What You'll Learn:

• How to pivot from transportation to hospitality
• Why values-driven travel is reshaping destination marketing
• The personalization imperative in hospitality
• How to build culturally relevant social strategies for Gen Z
• The critical role of content quality in AI-driven discovery
• How loyalty programs and media networks drive scale
• Why blending AI-powered tools with human connection wins

About the Guests:

Brad Hiranaga is Global Senior Vice President of Brand and Design Experiences at Marriott International, bringing expertise in experience design and brand strategy across hospitality. With a background spanning packaged food and apparel, Hiranaga leads initiatives to innovate hotel experiences, from the newly launched outdoor collection to wellness-focused services, leveraging Marriott's scale of 10,000+ properties. His work demonstrates how loyalty data and design thinking unlock new revenue opportunities and consumer insights in hospitality.

Eliot Hamlisch is Chief Commercial Officer at Amtrak, responsible for transforming the nation's rail operator from a transportation utility into a hospitality brand. Over two years in the role, Hamlisch has spearheaded initiatives to redefine train travel as an end-to-end experience, from digital booking to onboard partnerships (including collaborations with celebrity chefs like Steven Starr), while driving measurable engagement and ridership growth through unexpected, Gen Z-focused social campaigns.

Sheretha Bell is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (Discover Atlanta), where she has driven strategic evolution over 25 years. Bell leads efforts to position Atlanta as a premier destination for conventions and leisure travel, integrating AI-powered advertising tools with authentic content and experiential marketing, such as the "World's Largest Postcard" campaign, to reach travelers at critical decision moments while maintaining the personal touch that drives loyalty.

Host and Guest Resources:

• Brad Hiranaga on LinkedIn
• Marriott Website
• Eliot Hamlisch on LinkedIn
• Amtrak Website
• Sheretha Bell on LinkedIn
• Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Website
• ADWEEK Website

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