Visionary

For decades, three gleaming Gulf hubs have quietly governed how the world moves. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha became the great connectors of global travel — efficient, affordable, indispensable. But with Russian airspace already closed to Western carriers and fresh uncertainty rippling out from US strikes on Iran, that narrow corridor linking Europe and Asia is looking suddenly, disconcertingly fragile.Georgina Godwin speaks with travel writer and author Ash Bhardwaj — whose book 'Why We Travel' won Travel Book of the Year in 2024 — about what happens when the geography of flight is redrawn overnight. From the knock-on chaos affecting airline scheduling and aircrew logistics, to the quieter shift in traveller sentiment that may prove just as consequential, Bhardwaj maps out a world in flux. Could Istanbul emerge as the new pivot point? Will Changi step up? And as long-haul routes grow riskier and more complicated, might Europe and North Africa become the new horizon for global travellers?The conversation ranges from the mechanics of airspace closures to the reputational stakes for Dubai — a city that sold itself, above all else, on safety — and what it means for a globally connected world when the systems we took for granted prove far more delicate than we imagined.Visionary is brought to you by Here East, London's home of innovation and creativity.

Australia is uniquely exposed to the realities of climate change. This vast continent is already hot and dry, and increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather. And yet, despite the scale of several deadly weather events, climate policy remains one of the most divisive issues in Australian politics. In recent years, the country’s main conservative coalition has been largely forced out of the major cities by a new group of independent MPs — the so-called Teals — all women, all advocating stronger climate action.Political journalist Karen Middleton joins Georgina Godwin to explore how climate change became such a fault line in Australian public life — and whether this hot, dry nation can forge a more unified path forward before the next crisis arrives.

It was only a few years ago that the pandemic swept across the world, sending many of us home to work for what felt like an indefinite stretch. For a time, it seemed entirely plausible that the office might fade into irrelevance. But something more nuanced emerged. When people are suddenly told to stay at home, going out and being around others quickly becomes something to value.The same dynamic has shaped the way we work. Flexibility clearly matters, but the evidence increasingly suggests that working alongside others is often better for both productivity and wellbeing.Offices, then, are not disappearing, but they are evolving. Abby Brown, a partner at Knight Frank, joins Georgina Godwin to discuss how the property market is changing — and what it reveals about the workplace of the future.

In the space of a week, six undersea cables were recently mauled in the Baltic Sea. In a world built on constant connectivity, incidents like these carry serious consequences. Undersea fibre-optic cables are the unseen backbone of the modern internet, carrying around 99 per cent of international data traffic — from emails and video calls to financial transactions.That makes them an attractive target. Disrupt enough connections and daily life quickly begins to fray: communication falters, payments fail, and uncertainty spreads.Acts of sabotage like this are not new. But they do appear to be becoming more frequent — often timed to coincide with moments when global attention is focused elsewhere.Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. She recently wrote for Foreign Policy about the growing threat posed by data outages, and she joins Georgina Godwin to explain how such attacks are carried out — and what can be done to prevent a catastrophic global blackout.

Sundance is leaving the ski slopes. After more than four decades in Park City, Utah, the film festival started by Robert Redford is preparing to relocate to Boulder, Colorado. For veteran film journalist and documentary producer Bronwyn Cosgrave, speaking to Visionary from the snowy heart of this year’s edition, it’s a move that feels bold, necessary, and optimistic.Sundance, she explains, has always been about reinvention. And amid a changing media landscape – where big-budget celebrity documentaries dominate streamers and selling smaller films is harder than ever – the festival remains a vital launchpad. “Young people are rediscovering the power of independent film,” she says. “Sundance has to reflect that.” While the big players bring scale, it’s the buzz generated on the ground that can turn a smart, small documentary into a global conversation.As the festival looks ahead to its next chapter in Boulder, Bronwyn sees promise in the university town's fresh energy and audience. The departure from Park City may ruffle a few local feathers, but the mission endures: to create space for cultural dialogue, human storytelling, and artistic risk. “Festivals,” she reminds us, “aren’t just distribution engines. They’re where communities are built – and where new ideas begin.”

At Davos 2026, economist Cornelia Meyer saw something subtle but seismic: a shift in global momentum, away from the traditional powers of the global north and towards a future shaped by new actors, new alliances, and long-overdue questions about equity, risk, and resilience.Cornelia joins Georgina Godwin from Davos to discuss what’s really changing in the global economy — from the influence of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s landmark speech to the untapped power of the global south. They consider why Europe must rethink how it funds innovation, what CEOs are still missing about political risk, and how to plan for a future shaped by population shifts, AI, and capital flows.Guest: Cornelia Meyer, Chairman and CEO of MRL Corporation and Chairman and Chief Economist at LBV Asset Management.Subscribe to the Visionary newsletter and find out more at https://www.visionary.show/

From Nixon to Trump, some leaders have embraced a risky idea: act just unhinged enough to make your opponents back down. It’s called the madman theory, and according to historian Dr. James Boys, it’s not just Cold War lore — it’s a real strategic concept that continues to shape how world leaders negotiate, posture, and exert influence.James joins Georgina Godwin to explain where the theory came from, how it’s been used in diplomacy and business, and why understanding this tactic might make us all a little wiser when it comes to spotting power plays — whether in government or the boardroom.James' new book is called "US Grand Strategy & the Madman Theory" and it's published by Manchester University Press.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for coders and data scientists anymore. As tech analyst Avi Greengart tells Visionary host Georgina Godwin, AI is now being woven into the fabric of consumer technology — often in ways we don’t even notice. At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, Greengart explored the latest in AI-powered devices, from smart speakers to rollable laptops, and helped separate real innovation from the marketing fluff.The future he describes isn’t one of humanoid robots or dystopian control, but of everyday devices becoming subtly more useful. Whether it’s a fridge that tracks your groceries, a smart pendant that summarises your day, or wearable glasses that enhance your memory, AI is quietly shifting the way we live — and raising some big questions in the process.Products mentioned by Avi include the Looki AI wearable, Xreal One smart glasses, Samsung's Family Hub AI refrigerator, and Samsung's Odyssey range of screens.Find out more about Avi at techsponential.com.