Future of Travel Leadership | Achim Schmitt & Hotelplan CEO Laura Meyer
•February 23, 2026
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Why It Matters
Meyer’s insights highlight that adaptive leadership and mentorship are critical levers for travel firms to innovate, retain talent, and stay competitive amid accelerating industry disruption.
Key Takeaways
- •Balance disruption management with stable operations through strategic investments.
- •Leadership now demands adaptability, curiosity, and continuous learning mindset.
- •Mentorship provides impartial support, challenging perspectives, and mutual growth.
- •Future tourism talent must master evolving customer and employee needs.
- •Investing in risky innovations is essential for long‑term travel relevance.
Summary
Laura Meyer, CEO of Hotelplan Group – Switzerland’s largest travel company – joins EHL to discuss how the industry’s rapid transformation reshapes executive priorities. She outlines her dual role on tourism boards and advisory councils, emphasizing that today’s travel leaders must juggle operational stability while steering disruptive change.
Meyer frames the CEO’s core challenge as allocating capital between “must‑have” low‑risk projects and bold, high‑risk innovations. She stresses that sustainable growth hinges on a leadership mindset rooted in adaptability, curiosity and a love of learning, enabling firms to meet shifting traveler expectations and evolving employee demands.
The conversation turns to mentorship, which Meyer describes as an impartial partnership that both challenges and supports the mentee. She argues that effective mentors broaden perspectives, amplify ambition, and create a two‑way learning loop that benefits executives as much as their protégés.
For travel companies, the takeaway is clear: embed adaptive leadership, invest strategically in emerging technologies, and institutionalize mentorship to attract and develop talent. Those who master this balance will secure relevance in a market where consumer preferences and digital disruption evolve daily.
Original Description
Achim Schmitt, Dean of EHL Hospitality Business School, welcomes Laura Meyer, CEO of Hotelplan Group, for an insightful conversation on how disruption, innovation, and changing traveler expectations are reshaping the future of the travel and tourism industry.
As the largest travel group in Switzerland with operations across Europe, Hotelplan Group sits at the center of one of the fastest-evolving sectors today. Laura shares how leaders must balance stability and transformation — running today’s business while continuously reinventing it for tomorrow.
The discussion explores what modern leadership looks like in times of constant change, why adaptability and curiosity are becoming essential skills, and how investment decisions must balance safe returns with innovation-driven growth.
Finally, Laura reflects on the growing importance of mentorship in executive life — not only as a tool for developing future talent, but as a powerful way for leaders themselves to gain perspective, challenge assumptions, and keep learning in a rapidly evolving industry.
💡 Key Takeaways:
✅ How disruption is transforming the travel & tourism industry
✅ Balancing operational stability with innovation and change
✅ The leadership skills needed for the future of travel
✅ Why curiosity and continuous learning matter more than ever
✅ The strategic role of mentorship in executive development
✅ How leaders can prepare teams for constant industry evolution
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome & introduction
00:22 - Laura Meyer introduces herself & Hotelplan Group
00:45 - Managing disruption vs stability in leadership
01:35 - Skills needed for the future of travel industry
02:27 - The power of mentorship in executive leadership
03:52 - Closing reflections
👥 Who they are
👤 Achim Schmitt – Dean, EHL Hospitality Business School
👤 Laura Meyer – CEO, Hotelplan Group
🌎 Learn more about EHL
💬 Question for you:
How do you balance innovation and stability in a fast-changing industry like travel or hospitality?
Share your thoughts in the comments 👇
🔔 Subscribe for more leadership insights from EHL
#FutureOfTravel #HospitalityLeadership #LeadershipInTimesOfChange #InnovationInTravel #TourismTrends #Mentorship #ExecutiveLeadership #EHLInsights #HotelplanGroup #CustomerExperience
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