Skift’s 2023 Megatrends and Other Top Stories This Week

Skift Megatrends Defining Travel in 2023: Here are 16 travel industry trends for the new year and beyond that we hope will help you navigate your businesses through increasingly uncertain and opportunistic times.

American Airlines Made the Wrong Bet by Doubling Regional Pilot Pay: American may be coming to regret its historic increase in regional pilot pay.

India Becoming the New China in the Reordering of Asia Travel: The oft-heard rhetoric that India is the next China may finally hold true for travel’s outbound industry as Chinese look at international travel more skeptically.

Sonder Eliminates Cleaning Fees in Short-Term Rentals and Hotel Rooms: Sonder will have to see if it can make its pricing competitive while eliminating cleaning fees as a separate guest charge. There could be some reputational upside if the financials work out.

The Anywhere Traveler Puts New Destinations on the Map: Millennials now surpass Boomers as the largest sector of the U.S. population, giving rise to a new class of “anywhere travelers.” This group has a strong passion for experiences that taking them to less obvious destinations. These habits, in their own way a new form of balancing overtourism, will put new destinations in focus.

U.S. Flights Grounded Following FAA Computer Glitch: Flights across the U.S. have been grounded due to a computer glitch with the Federal Aviation Administration’s systems, according to reports. The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which alerts pilots of potential hazards.

Big Banks Chase a Much Bigger Piece of the Travel Market: Banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, and Citi already have the customer base to appeal to travelers with attractive booking offers, cash back, and points, without having to ante up big for marketing like online travel agencies and hotels. The prospects for banks, with a history clunky travel portals, will hinge on value proposition, user experience and execution.

Travelers Learn to Live With Permanxiety: Skift coined the term “permanxiety” in 2017 to describe how social, political, and climate turmoil is coloring consumer expectations, including for travel. Permanxiety has only been compounded since on the heels of war and a pandemic. Travel companies need to make sure newly upbeat services and messages aren’t out of sync with the gloomy mood music in many travelers’ heads.

TikTok Chips Away at Google’s Dominance in Travel Discovery: TikTok is chipping away at Google’s travel dominance one 30-second dance at a time. Travel marketers eager to bypass search engines have an opportunity to do so with this new social media platform.

Peru’s Post-Covid Tourism Faces Setbacks From Civil Unrest: The civil unrest has delivered a serious blow to the recovery of Peru’s tourism sector. Tourism officials need to counter the negative publicity — especially around Machu Picchu — to reassure aspiring tourists of the country’s safety. They also need to nudge government officials to resolve the crisis.