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

The Skift Travel Podcast for this episode discusses with Tom Marchant, owner and co-founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato. Marchant talks about the definition of luxury, the impact of White Lotus on shows like the tourism industry, how artificial intelligence enhances the customer experience, and editor-in-chief Sarah Kopit and research director Seth Borko.

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Five key points

The cultural impact of television on travel: Marchant highlights how performances like White Lotus deeply influence travel trends, inspiring people to visit unique locations, just like the ones in New Zealand’s Lord of the Rings and King of the Rings and Iceland.

Hotel challenges and opportunities: The popularity of white lotus brings benefits and logistical challenges to luxury hotels, such as increasing demand and meeting the expectations of travelers seeking to replicate the performance environment. Still, the show expands interest in a wider destination than featured places.

Human expertise + AI = Enhanced customer experience: Black Tomato focuses on integrating

human insight and services with technological advancements such as AI. Marchant said its goal is to use AI instead of replacing it, but empowering humans – simplifying internal processes and enhancing customer interaction without losing personal luxury.

Luxury travel needs are elastic but sensitive: Luxury travel remains strong despite economic headwinds. High-end customers continue to travel, sometimes due to instability (“I need to get rid of all this”). However, some travelers do delay decision making until markets or global events settle. There was a significant shortening of booking windows, but booked very early in 2026.

There is no metric to predict luxury travel demand: Marchant said there is no “Polaris” metric, such as RV sales or the Big Mac index in the luxury sector. Instead, Black Tomato monitors a mix of economic data, emotional trends, booking behaviors and customer conversations. Booking windows and emotional shifts are often more convincing than hard financial metrics.

Plot summary

Marchant talked about the impact of White Lotus on travel trends, highlighting how the show influences interest in featured locations. After each season, Black Tomato has surged in travel bookings, but the show’s popularity poses challenges for luxury hotels, such as managing growing demand and balancing tourists who are primarily sightseeing while those who are truly looking for a high-end experience.

Marchant outlines several luxury travels, one of which is the rise of “earning experiences”, where travelers seek physical and mental challenges that bring a sense of accomplishment, similar to explorers of the past. Another emerging trend is the pursuit of silence, where people seek true quiet, remote places to escape the noise of modern life.

While AI plays an increasingly important role throughout the business, Marchant says the company remains committed to the value of relationships and tailored experiences. He added that some travelers book more than ever, while others delay decisions due to uncertainty, creating a mixed but encouraging prospect.