What does the U.S. travel industry look like just weeks before IPW lands in Fort Lauderdale for the first time? In this episode of View From Afar, deputy editor Michelle Baran sits down with Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, to set the stage for Afar's Live From IPW series. Picking up where their conversation left off at last year's conference in Chicago, Geoff and Michelle talk about the forces shaping inbound and domestic travel in 2026 and what U.S. Travel is doing to support the industry, even as competition for the global traveler has never been fiercer. The two discuss the lingering damage from the record-breaking 75-day government shutdown, the perception gap distorting how the world sees the U.S., and the diplomatic work required to win Canadian visitors back. Geoff also previews what's new at IPW this year, why a visa "fast pass" piloted for the World Cup could become a model for major events well beyond it, and why travel remains the ultimate form of diplomacy. If you're heading to Fort Lauderdale—or following the conference from afar—this is the intel-packed primer to listen to first. On this episode you'll learn Why the U.S. was the only country in the world to see international visitation decline last year—and where the recovery starts What's changing at IPW 2026, from new buyer briefings to the end of the cavernous conference lunch How the FIFA Pass could reshape U.S. competitiveness for events like CES, the Olympics, and beyond What it will actually take to bring Canadian travelers back Why Geoff is optimistic about the future of travel—and the opportunity to use travel as a cultural bridge Chapters 00:00:00 Resilience and the Inbound Decline 00:06:00 Aviation as a Political Hostage 00:11:00 The Perception Gap 00:14:00 Winning Canadians Back 00:19:00 What's New at IPW 2026 00:28:00 Travel as Diplomacy Resources Listen to last year's conversation with Geoff Freeman, recorded live at IPW Chicago Read Geoff's Afar op-ed, Welcoming Travelers When America Feels Challenged Explore Afar's World Cup guide Learn more about the U.S. Travel Association and IPW Catch the Live From IPW episodes starting May 20, featuring executives representing destinations from Seattle to Puerto Rico Stay Connected Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all 14 IPW episodes next week Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ for behind-the-scenes IPW content. ⁠Sign up⁠ for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠, where we share first-person narratives of trips that have changed us, and ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices