IHG's new deal with Emirates is as part of broader push to capture the underserved corporate segment. Expect more partnerships that offer fast-track loyalty status in exchange for direct bookings.
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.
Soon it will be Amex GBT-CWT — and then everyone else. But tech-advanced companies can potentially make inroads as the merger partners get distracted with managing a huge integration.
As India's high-value business travel is on-track to surpass pre-Covid levels, competition in India is heating up with OTAs and hotel chains adjusting their strategies to sharpen their focus on this segment.
Everyone in corporate travel is trying to cut out the middleman, which is awkward because half the people in corporate travel are the middleman. Hilton's gained traction with a new program for small- and medium-sized businesses and easier processes for payments.
Travel disruptions due to unforeseen events may have led to fewer bookings among Indians, but they are making up for it by spending more for the premium experience of travel.
Zoom works fine. But it turns out there's something irreplaceable about looking someone in the eye while discussing revenue projections in a beige conference room in Dallas, Sao Paulo, or Mumbai.