Articles tagged “skift research”

Data only gets you so far — the intelligence and decision layer is becoming more important than ever. 

Most destination budgets lean heavily toward attracting first-time visitors. But this growth model is under strain — it may be time to change the equation and ask what smarter allocation would look like.

Most destinations only report how many visitors came and how much they spent. Very few report on where the money goes or what is lost when those visitors don’t come back. With destinations being asked harder questions about tourism’s benefit to local communities, per-trip yield and arrival volumes may not be enough on their own.

Most destinations’ marketing campaigns lead with what is on offer, such as price, product, or infrastructure. But the travelers who are most likely to return want to know what is on offer to them personally. Should the focus be on marketing the destination as a product, or should marketing target the traveler?

A localized Ebola outbreak is leading to a continent-wide demand slump. The mechanism is well understood and almost nothing has been done about it.

The first negative reading of 2026 isn't a collapse — it's a rebalancing. Asia-Pacific is gaining what the transatlantic is losing.

First-timers spend more per trip. Repeat visitors spend less. But the math still favors loyalty.

As of April 2026, the index stands at 99. The East is gaining. The West is losing ground.

Reaching Gen Z is a distribution problem, resonating with them is a product problem. Few travel brands have figured out which one they actually have. Those that haven't are already losing ground — they just can't see it in the numbers yet.

Repeat visitation must be actively earned, not assumed as a result of satisfaction.