Podcasts · Travel Trends with Dan Christian

The Mind Behind Investing in the Experience Economy With Michael Zeisser, FMZ Ventures

7 Jan 2026 · 1 h 30 min · S6 E18

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Experiences - not things - are becoming the world’s most powerful growth market, and investor Michael Zeisser, Managing Partner, FMZ Ventures joins us to explain why. In this Captains of Industry episode, we explore how the shift from goods to meaning is reshaping the entire travel and experiences economy and what it means to play the long game in a world where travelers increasingly seek connection, transformation, and purpose. We look at where travel is headed next as new ecosystems of creators, distribution platforms, and enablement tools emerge. Michael breaks down why companies like GetYourGuide and Fever are pulling ahead, and why true differentiation, not copycat concepts, is what builds category-defining brands.

We go deep into how AI is transforming experiences through three major shifts: hyper-personalization grounded in real-world context, productivity gains that expand margins, and time reallocation that ultimately generates new demand. Michael connects these advances to what travelers are seeking most in 2026: agency, connection, and inspiration.

The conversation stretches beyond travel, touching on the rise of psychotherapeutic experiences, the early science of experiential medicine, and evolving approaches to legacy and sustainable death. Michael also shares why he is bullish on live events consolidation, what drove his investment in MARI, and how the Middle East is rapidly building cultural and tourism infrastructure at global scale.

If you are creating, investing in, or simply curious about the next era of transformative travel, this episode reveals where value is moving and how to design for the why, not just the where.

👉 Listen to The Mind Behind Investing in the Experience Economy

🔥 Special Thanks to our Season 6 Title Sponsors for their Support: Holafly, Propellic, PayCompass, Kaptio, Civitatis and WeRoad

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Links in the notes 7

• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2172036/fan_mail/new
• https://esim.holafly.com/
• https://www.propellic.com/trends
• https://paycompass.com/?utm_source=travel_trends&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=season6
• https://www.kaptio.com/
• https://www.civitatis.com/en/?srsltid=AfmBOop8dTWbFqPj0cB7uUgMQskyUzRDN6-MijX6t4t13Gci1cLBkGY7
• https://www.weroad.com/