White Lotus, AI, and the New Business of Luxury Travel

This episode of the Skift Travel Podcast featured a discussion with Tom Marchant, the owner and co-founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato. Marchant addressed the definition of luxury, the impact of shows like The White Lotus on tourism, how artificial intelligence can enhance customer experiences, and more with Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko.

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Five Key Points

Cultural Influence of TV on Travel: Marchant highlights how shows like The White Lotus deeply influence travel trends, inspiring people to visit the locations featured, much like earlier phenomena with Lord of the Rings in New Zealand and Game of Thrones in Iceland.

Challenges and Opportunities for Hotels: The popularity of The White Lotus brings both benefits and logistical challenges to luxury hotels, such as increased demand and dealing with expectations from travelers seeking to replicate the show’s settings. Nonetheless, the show has expanded interest in the broader destination beyond just the featured resorts.

Human Expertise + AI = Enhance Customer Experience: Black Tomato is focused on blending human insight and service with tech advancements like AI. Marchant said its goal is to use AI not to replace, but to empower humans — streamlining internal processes and enhancing client interaction without losing the personal, luxury touch.

Luxury Travel Demand Is Resilient but Sensitive: Despite economic headwinds, luxury travel remains strong. Clients at the high end continue to travel, sometimes because of instability (“I need to get away from all this”). However, some travelers do delay decisions until markets or global events settle. There’s been a noticeable shortening of booking windows — but also some early bookings well into 2026.

No Single Indicator Predicts Luxury Travel Demand: Marchant said there’s no “North Star” metric like RV sales or Big Mac Index for the luxury segment. Instead, Black Tomato monitors a mix of economic data, sentiment trends, booking behavior, and customer conversations. Shifts in booking windows and emotional sentiment are often more telling than hard financial indicators.

Episode Summary

Marchant touched on the impact of The White Lotus on travel trends, emphasizing how the show has influenced interest in its featured locations. Following each season, Black Tomato has seen a spike in travel bookings, but the show’s popularity creates challenges for luxury hotels, such as managing the increased demand and balancing visitors who are primarily sightseeing versus those truly seeking a high-end experience.

Marchant outlined several luxury travel megatrends, one of them being the rise of “earned experiences,” where travelers seek physical or mental challenges that offer a sense of achievement, akin to the explorers of the past. Another emerging trend is the pursuit of silence, with people seeking truly quiet, remote locations to escape the noise of modern life.

While AI plays a growing role across the business, Marchant said the company remains deeply committed to the value of human relationships and tailored experiences. He added that some travelers are booking earlier than ever, while others delay decisions due to uncertainty, creating a mixed but encouraging outlook.