2026 › February

When a U.S. crackdown on illegal immigration rattles both workers and travelers, hotels feel it twice.

Terminal BTG Pactual signals a structural power shift in premium travel, as control moves from airlines to independent operators that own the airport experience before passengers ever board.

After years of rapid expansion, the travel industry is beginning to stabilize. While the world faces a period of uncertainty, the global appetite for meaningful experiences and the drive to explore ensures that travel remains a priority heading into 2026.

Aspen One says hotel sustainability efforts fall short without lobbying and system change.

Around a dozen states have introduced legislation that would upend the way hotels, airlines, and OTAs set prices.

The changes come as Saudi has scaled back some Vision 2030 projects and is accelerating efforts to attract foreign direct investment.

Prism has Belvilla's presence and the brandscape. Now, all it needs to do is replicate the UK's success in Germany and it's got a scalable international model, too.

Expedia's B2B division is growing nearly five times faster than its consumer brands. That gap buys time for the Vrbo and Hotels.com turnaround — but 2026 will test whether efficiency gains can translate into sustained momentum.

In an era when speed to market is a given, Chesky is arguing that nice and easy does it will win the day. It would be better to say, "We are behind in our AI development, but we are confident that we will get to where we need to be."

Hotel groups are increasingly sharing AI risks openly. But Hyatt and others have no choice but to keep experimenting.