Podcast Summary: The Entrepreneurs – "Direction of travel in 2026 and why all businesses need talent with a hospitality-first mindset"

Host: Tom Edwards
Date: December 31, 2025
Guests: Ahmed Al Hawari (Mayfair Jets), Shannon Knapp (Leading Hotels of the World)
Produced by: Monocle Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of The Entrepreneurs focuses on the future of travel and hospitality as we move into 2026, highlighting how every business can benefit from a hospitality-driven approach and examining global trends in aviation and luxury accommodation. The program features in-depth interviews with Ahmed Al Hawari, co-founder of Mayfair Jets—a rapidly growing private aviation company—and Shannon Knapp, CEO and president of the Leading Hotels of the World. It explores resilience and adaptation in the face of global crises, evolving guest expectations, talent challenges in hospitality, and how curiosity will drive travel trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Building Mayfair Jets: Lessons in Agility and Opportunity

Guest: Ahmed Al Hawari, Mayfair Jets
Interviewer: Laura Kramer

• Launching Amidst Crisis (02:05–06:00)

  • Ahmed reflects on starting Mayfair Jets just before the pandemic and how prior experience in handling aviation crises (like the Icelandic volcanic ash and the Arab Spring) proved invaluable.
    • “We’re used to ups and downs all the time... In aviation, you have everything set for the flight to go, then out of nothing, a very small part in the cockpit or somewhere just goes wrong and the aircraft is AOG—aircraft on ground.” (02:07, Ahmed Al Hawari)
  • The pandemic became an unexpected business accelerator through demand for evacuation and medical aid flights. The team leaned on its industry network to pivot quickly.
    • “Covid, I’m sorry to say, was good for us... The whole phases of the pandemic, we’ve been through it and it’s treated us on a business level very good. And it’s proven to the market and to our clients that we are able to actually fulfill our promises to them.” (05:27, Ahmed Al Hawari)

• Business Expansion & Services Now (06:09–08:51, 13:54)

  • The Mayfair Jets brand plays on the perceived luxury of London’s Mayfair district—a name and image that resonate with their target clients from the GCC and beyond.
    • “Mayfair... is one of the posh places in the UK and actually it’s very attractive name to certain category of our clients, especially from the GCC area.” (06:09, Ahmed Al Hawari)
  • The company’s services include:
    • Private jets for VIPs, diplomats, and UN missions
    • Scheduled charter flights to Mediterranean and Red Sea vacation destinations
    • Crisis and medical evacuation services for NGOs and relief missions
  • Benefits of a multinational setup: presence across 8 global locations enables 24/7 operations with a multilingual call center, standout service, and global reach.
    • “We have our own OCC which is 24 services reachable by all the clients and our multilingual call center based in Egypt, attending to all customers, trying to reach us around the clock.” (08:56, Ahmed Al Hawari)
  • The company's unique ballerina-inspired logo represents flexibility, readiness, and grace—values echoed in their business philosophy.

• Market Trends & Predictions for 2026 (10:53–13:54)

  • Growing demand for private jets and shifts in the travel landscape are being driven by economic factors, shifting consumer priorities, and events like the World Cup.
    • “There is amazingly bigger demand on the private jet requests and it has proven to be a product that there are people looking for it, but it’s just the reachability.” (11:18, Ahmed Al Hawari)
  • Major sporting events impact travel behavior—2026's World Cup in the US/Canada will boost travel.
  • Optimism for growth: “If we could do it in such a short period, so actually we could double that in the upcoming five years. So I think 2026 will be into more investing in you, team members or family members to join us to invade more areas of the industry.” (13:54, Ahmed Al Hawari)

2. Hospitality as Mindset: The Power and Challenge of Talent

Guest: Shannon Knapp, Leading Hotels of the World
Interviewer: Laura Kramer

• LHW's Mission & Vision (15:22–17:06)

  • LHW represents over 400 independent five-star hotels across 80 countries, focusing on “connected, authentic, story-worthy” guest experiences.
    • “We pride ourselves on... creating an exclusive collection of independent luxury hotels that deliver extraordinary experiences... connected to people and place and that creates story-worthy moments...” (15:55, Shannon Knapp)
  • Evaluation for new members hinges on:
    1. Remarkable quality (exceptional product/experience)
    2. Remarkable people (passionate owners/visionaries)
    3. Uncommon experiences (reflective of local culture and community support)
  • Only about 5% of interested hotels are accepted annually.

• Defining Luxury: Experience & Community Impact (17:16)

  • Memorable example: The Royal Mansoor in Marrakech, which blends “extreme luxury,” authenticity, and deep community support.
    • “Not only because of the extreme luxury and authenticity of the experience, but also because that hotel is very supportive of the community. Not only provides jobs... but also supports an orphanage.” (17:16, Shannon Knapp)

• Data, Decision-Making, and Growth (18:38–20:57)

  • LHW leverages detailed data—from guest satisfaction to revenue and cross-utilization—to guide its decisions.
  • “This is 2025 will be our fourth consecutive year of record revenue performance... we’re growing 19% year over year... looking ahead to 2026, I see in fact we’re 22% ahead for next year.” (19:50, Shannon Knapp)
  • The luxury traveler’s mindset has shifted: travel is now a fundamental component of identity and self-discovery, with increased trip frequency and destination diversity.

• Talent Shortage & The Hospitality-First Mindset (21:26–24:02)

  • The industry faces acute challenges attracting and retaining skilled labor, especially post-Covid, worsened by the cost-of-living crisis.
    • “It’s extremely hard to attract new labor... The soul of the people that deliver the experience... that really define [luxury].” (21:26, Shannon Knapp)
  • Hospitality schools remain valuable, but Knapp notes the need for attracting diverse talent—including those from outside the traditional hospitality pipeline. Passion for service is the true differentiator:
    • “You can teach any skill, but if you have that intrinsic desire to connect with somebody and to make somebody happy, you’re meant for hospitality.” (22:57, Shannon Knapp)
  • Motivating teams: A strong mission drives natural engagement, focus on strategy and empowering staff.
    • “What I try and do is... set a direction... and then get out of the way and let them do what they do best.” (24:16, Shannon Knapp)

• Travel Trends, Curiosity, and Resilience (25:25–27:24)

  • Despite geopolitical and economic turbulence, curiosity is fueling resilient demand among luxury travelers.
    • “This curious traveler, this luxury traveler... their perspective on travel has changed. It has not affected their desire to travel. Might they change destinations? Sure... but they are still traveling.” (25:25, Shannon Knapp)
  • Curiosity is forecasted to drive travel patterns in 2026, with guests seeking authentic, destination-specific experiences rather than uniform luxury.
    • “Curiosity has always been at the core of who our guest has been, because they don’t want to have the same experience in Tokyo that they’re having in New York... they want an experience that is unique and tied to the destination.” (26:27, Shannon Knapp)
  • Direct flight connectivity is important, but harder-to-reach places offer rewarding, less crowded “pristine experiences.” (27:32, Shannon Knapp)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On resilience in aviation:
  “In aviation we’re used to ups and downs all the time... So it wasn’t a great shock... actually Covid, I’m sorry to say, was good for us.” – Ahmed Al Hawari (02:05–03:17)
• On luxury travel’s new meaning:
  “It is no longer something that you maybe do once or twice a year... it’s a part of who they are. It’s their journey of self-discovery.” – Shannon Knapp (20:31–20:57)
• On the hospitality-first mindset:
  “You can teach any skill, but if you have that intrinsic desire to connect with somebody and to make somebody happy, you’re meant for hospitality.” – Shannon Knapp (22:57)
• On curiosity driving the future:
  “Curiosity has always been at the core of who our guest has been. They don’t want to have the same experience in Tokyo that they’re having in New York... they want an experience that is unique and tied to the destination, to the people, to the culture.” – Shannon Knapp (26:27)

Important Timestamps

• Mayfair Jets: Handling crises and growth: 02:05–06:00
• Service and brand expansion: 06:09–08:51
• Market trends and 2026 outlook: 10:53–13:54
• Leading Hotels of the World portfolio and criteria: 15:22–17:06
• Community impact and luxury experiences: 17:16
• Data-driven decision making and recovery from Covid: 18:38–20:57
• Labor shortages and hospitality-first mindset: 21:26–24:02
• Travel trends, curiosity, and resilience: 25:25–27:24

Tone & Style

The episode is optimistic, insightful, and practical—balancing business realities with inspiration. Both guests demonstrate resilience, innovation, and an unwavering focus on experience, service, and people.

Summary Conclusion

As 2026 approaches, the hospitality and travel industries are redefining themselves, putting people and authentic experience at the core. Agility, service, and a curiosity-driven approach are vital, whether in private aviation or luxury hotels. Leaders like Ahmed Al Hawari and Shannon Knapp stress that a hospitality-first mindset transcends their own sectors, offering lessons for every business aiming for exceptional service, adaptability, and growth in a rapidly changing world.