Saniya Zanpure

The $92 billion car rental sector is leveraging its high consolidation to win the digital distribution war, generating 59% of all online bookings through direct channels.

The global car rental sector is a resilient $92 billion market, driven by leisure travel, with the Americas being the largest market. The sector is rapidly digitizing with 74% of bookings online, with direct bookings driving as much traction as intermediaries.

Global travel maintains resilience at 1% annual growth, but operators must abandon traditional seasonality models and leverage flexible pricing to capture demand that is now more evenly distributed throughout the year.

Despite strong demand and hiring momentum, travel is stuck in a cycle of churn — with pay gaps, skills shortages, and weak career pathways making talent the sector’s biggest growth challenge.

The global cruise sector is led by a highly concentrated group of four companies that control 79% of the market.

The U.S. travel sector is slowing down due to a drop in international visitors, especially from Canada, while Canada's industry is surging because of a boom in domestic tourism.

The global cruise industry generated $71 billion in revenues in 2024 and is projected for strong growth, with a forecasted growth rate of 5% year-on-year, to reach $78 billion by 2026.

The July 2025 Skift Travel Health Index shows the global travel industry remains resilient with a 1% growth. A key trend is the sustained strength of premium and business travel, which continues to grow and drive revenue despite broader economic uncertainties.

Don't panic and start discounting just yet. Travelers may be booking later in the process, but are showing a willingness to pay higher rates closer to arrival.

Despite heightened economic uncertainty and shifting consumer sentiment, the global travel industry showed resilience through the first half of 2025. The Skift Travel Health Index recorded 3% year-on-year growth in global travel performance as of June 2025.