Air India's Ambitions, Marriott's Confidence and Trump's Ban by the Numbers

Skift Daily Briefing Podcast

Listen to the day’s top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, March 18. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Earlier this morning, Marriott International CEO Anthony Capuano spoke at Skift India Forum in Delhi, India. Hotel reporter Luke Martin reports that Capuano said that Marriott sees India as a key driver of its future growth, projecting it to become its third-largest market despite global economic uncertainties. He emphasized the importance of empowering local leadership and expanding into secondary cities while also addressing bureaucratic challenges.

In his discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Capuano said they focused on boosting tourism, reducing development friction, and increasing female employment. Additionally, Marriott is evolving its Bonvoy loyalty program to attract modern travelers, offering unique experiences beyond traditional business perks.

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Speaking at the same event in Delhi, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that India is set to become the fifth-largest outbound travel market by 2027, and he believes Indian carriers can capture much of that growth, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. He highlighted that Indian airlines are rapidly expanding, with over 1,000 aircraft on order, shifting the aviation center of gravity back to India and boosting the local economy.

Wilson also sees immense potential in Air India's loyalty program, the Maharaja Club, which is adding 300,000 new members each month and could become India's "second currency." Additionally, Air India plans to integrate AI for operational efficiency, particularly in training and customer service. Despite global economic uncertainty, Wilson remains confident, stating that India's rapid growth and strong demand will keep its aviation sector resilient.

The Trump administration is considering a new wave of travel restrictions that could target citizens of up to 43 countries. Head of Research Seth Borko delves into how the proposed bans and restrictions could impact the U.S. travel industry.

Close to 700,000 travelers visited the U.S. in 2024 from the 43 named countries across all three tiers of potential travel restrictions. That’s less than 2% of travelers who visited the U.S. last year, excluding land border crossings from Canada and Mexico. But U.S. inbound tourism is still less than it was pre-Covid, and removing even a small share doesn’t help. 

And though Borko doesn’t expect a big hit to travel companies from a ban, he adds that the long-term ramifications could be huge if it represents the start of tighter travel restrictions across the world.