Hotels and the Middle Class Traveler

Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry.

Today, we’re proud to present the first episode in a series highlighting these Megatrends featuring Skift’s editor-in-chief Sarah Kopit and Skift Hotel Editor Sean O’Neil. They discuss the Megatrend that Sean himself penned, entitled “How Hotels will Seduce the Middle Class Traveler”, where Sean explains how a growing global middle class and ample opportunity in mid-market hospitality should result in continued and increasing investment in so-called select service hotels.

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Host: Sarah Kopit
Guest: Sean O’Neil
Producer: Jose Marmolejos

Sean spoke with Wyndham Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Checchio at the Megatrends release event in New York last week and he relates how Wyndham and other major hotel players, such as Hyatt and Hilton, are approaching this focus on Midscale. Sarah and Sean also discuss other Megatrends related to: the growing Indian middle class, the impact of artificial intelligence, and the controversy surrounding hotel junk fees.

Lastly, Sean shares insights on the hotel market’s supply and demand dynamics. Despite numerous new brand launches in the mid-tier segment, research suggests a balance in supply and demand, with more demand than supply projected through 2030.

Skift Megatrends 2024

Every January, Skift launches its annual Megatrends, which forecast the top trends that will define the travel industry in the year ahead.

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