The Megatrends Defining Travel in 2018

Download your copy of Skift Megatrends 2018

Tuesday night, we released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2018. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here.

Every year, the Skift reporting team gathers to discuss the big-picture themes emerging in travel. Out of those conversations — informed by our intensive daily coverage, long-term research, and many hundreds of hours talking to leaders and operators in the travel industry — comes this magazine.

The Megatrends Defining Travel in 2018 represent our largest annual editorial effort, and this year’s version is our most comprehensive yet. With a new regional spotlight and a fresh focus on restaurants, the 2018 Megatrends draw on our deep expertise in the sectors we cover, and deliver an authoritative forecast for the coming year.

These are the 19 Megatrends this magazine expands on:

• Travel Brands Want to Be Experience Platforms
• Brands Embrace Diversity and Inclusion Message Amid Rising Neo-Nationalism
• Travel Mergers and Acquisitions Become More Focused on Strategic Innovation
• The Hotel of the Future Needs to Be Everything to Everyone
• Personal Fulfillment Is the New Ultimate Luxury
• Blockchain Will Spark a New Type of Technology Race in Travel
• European Travelers Return to Once-Disrupted Destinations
• Airlines Race to Become Storefronts Beyond the Seat
• New Leaders of Online Travel Agencies Are Already Reshaping Their Companies
• Cities Are Better Navigating the Collision of Their Visitor and Local Economies
• Extreme Weather Is Creating Travel Upheaval
• Startups Go Direct to Consumers in Battle for Business Travelers
• Google’s Product-Led Vision Is Bearing Fruit
• Back-End Travel Tech Gets a Design Renaissance
• Africa Discovers It Needs to Woo Millennials Both at Home and Abroad
• Ctrip Branches Out But Many Chinese Travel Companies Will Be Domestically Focused
• Asian Upscale Travelers Are Creating a Luxury Tipping Point
• Latin America Will Take Nation Branding to New Extremes
• Next-Generation Restaurants Fight the Delivery Boom With Immersive Experiences

Download Your Copy of Skift Megatrends 2018

This year’s Megatrends are sponsored by our partners at AccorHotels, Allianz Worldwide Partners, Hilton Garden Inn, Intrepid Travel, onefinestay, and Upside.