Who influences the visitor journey?
As more decisions happen through platforms and AI assistants, what should destinations own, influence or enable?
AI · Tourism · Human Behavior
How people discover, choose and experience places is changing.
I explore what changing visitor behaviour, digital platforms and AI mean for destinations — and how to translate those shifts into better strategies, products and experiences.
Perspectives from Reehan Sheikh · Dubai, UAE
Current thinking
A few questions worth exploring.
When does personalization go too far?
Reducing friction can improve travel. It can also leave less room for discovery, spontaneity and choice.
What makes a destination visible to AI?
As discovery interfaces change, destination information and experiences need to work beyond destination-owned channels.
How do digital experiences become joined-up?
Technology can connect touchpoints, but better journeys often depend on operators, platforms and institutions working together.
Are we overthinking our travel decisions?
When choosing somewhere to eat becomes a research exercise, are we managing too many options — or trying too hard to avoid regret? Could AI help us rediscover a little spontaneity?
Writing
Ideas in development.
Selected ideas in development. Published work will be linked here when available.
The Fallacy of a Seamless Visitor Journey
Why the ambition of a joined-up visitor experience so often runs into the realities of fragmented ownership and operations.
The Comfort Trap
When familiar preferences make unfamiliar places feel increasingly alike.
The Perfect Trip Problem
Could a well-optimized itinerary leave too little room for the visitor?
Background
Strategy grounded in product and delivery.
I am a product and innovation executive with more than two decades of experience across digital strategy, technology, product and transformation. My work spans complex programs in tourism and hospitality, government, real estate and other industries.
My current focus is how these disciplines come together in destination strategy: from understanding visitor needs and behaviours to shaping digital products, platforms and the wider ecosystems through which experiences are delivered.
Conversation
Interested in exchanging perspectives?
I'm interested in thoughtful conversations about tourism, visitor experience, emerging technology and the changing role of destinations.
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