Arival CEO unpacks 2025’s travel realities in opening session

Douglas Quinby, CEO and Co-founder of Arival, opened Arival 360 Washington with a data-rich keynote that laid bare the trends reshaping the travel experiences sector. Leading with a compelling stat from Arival’s proprietary research, Quinby revealed: “The top 10% of income earners in the United States account for nearly half of all spend… and within our industry, that 1/5 cohort of affluent travelers drives nearly half of all experiences spend.”

The keynote, delivered at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, focused on the intersection of economic shifts, generational change, and exponential tech disruption. Drawing from Arival’s Global Operator Landscape Survey, Quinby highlighted regional performance trends: “Asia is doing relatively well, with a majority of operators reporting growth. But in the U.S. and Latin America, 60% of operators told us their business is flat or down this year.”