Out of all the sessions at Skift Forum Europe this week it was a conversation with the World Travel and Tourism Council's Gerald Lawless that stuck with me the most.
Perhaps it was because he was talking about travel at its most basic and purest level. We get so lost among company internal politics, talk of best practices and fancy technology that we forget that travel is nothing without the ability for people to freely move between countries and get on planes (or trains).
In recent months, this freedom has felt compromised for some. There is a sense of urgency for Britain to negotiate its air agreements post-Brexit so routes can continue to operate, while President Donald Trump tries to impose travel bans on certain nationalities.
Lawless made it clear that access, particularly e-visas, and airlift is creating increased demand for destinations, particularly cities. While electronic visa systems are easing processes, several visa application firms have told me travel managers are becoming more aware that business travellers need the right visa or don't out-stay their time in countries.
Furthermore, Lawless is confident in the creation of a global visa system despite what can feel like a growing nationalist environment in parts of the world. "A global visa is effectively possible," he said. "If…a block of countries [gets electronic visas working] on one platform you could then get other countries to apply. If they fit with regulations, technology etc then it could work."
If an individual traveller makes a successful application, they could be known as a 'global trusted traveller'. How nice does that sound?