Hi Luke, and welcome to the Accommodation Panel and Management board! To kick off your tenure, we’d love to hear what trend you believe will impact your business this year?

There is no doubt there is a continued shift in travel patterns from transactional travel to experiential travel. The youth travel segment in Australia and New Zealand continues to stay longer and spend more than any other sector and rely heavily on the experiential element. We are in the final stages of renovating our current portfolio. I am excited to see the continued improvement in our product through the investment we are making in elevating both the product and experience. I am sure there will ensure exciting times for Drifter over the coming 12 months.

You work closely with education, tourism, and accommodation groups. What’s one thing those worlds have taught you about how young people explore today?

Young people will trade comfort for community. They’ll accept shared spaces, hybrid accommodation formats, and unconventional amenities if it fosters social connection and discovery. All three segments are reshaping how destinations think about tours, events, and the role accommodation plays as a cultural gateway, not just a bed or a room.

What’s one thing you’re personally excited to champion for the accommodation community by 2026?

I’m excited to assist and advocate tourism bodies towards growing recognition of youth travel as a strategic driver of national tourism and elevate its importance in long term tourism goals. This cohort drives culture, year-round demand, long stays, and destination advocacy at a scale few other segments do.

Finally, is there a travel experience from your own youth that shaped what you want to champion for young travellers today?

Whilst it has been a while since I could class myself as a youth traveller, it has not changed my desire to explore and experience. The notion of creating memories that live with travellers forever is something that I look back on fondly as shaping my desire to create a new way for travellers to experience the same emotions.