Articles tagged “skift research”

Hotel companies spent the last decade building brand portfolios for coverage and scale. The next phase of competition will reward sharper brands that drive pricing power, loyalty relevance, and visibility in AI-compressed discovery funnels.

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.

Consumer love for travel, rising demographics, and exciting innovation square off against unstable geopolitics, affordability challenges, and a lukewarm economic expansion

The U.S. has become the hardest place in the world to run a ULCC, and only highly focused models are surviving.

In 2025, travel matured from a post-pandemic sprint into a disciplined, value-driven market that prioritizes experiences and revenue quality over just driving volumes. As growth shifts Eastward and geopolitics redefine travel corridors, the industry’s success in 2026 will depend on its ability to remain tech-agile and price-resilient in a volatile world.

The data shows the travel industry may be overestimating some strengths — and underestimating certain risks.

The low-cost airline model still works in the U.S., but only in two forms: network exclusivity or premium-lite pricing. Ultra-low-cost carriers that hesitate will end up consolidating by force, not choice.

Other low-cost carriers have attempted to outfly reality — adding capacity, chasing share, and hoping costs would normalize. Allegiant and Sun Country have done the opposite.

Surveys by Skift Research across four major markets reveal shifting allegiances for loyalty programs, a widening confidence gaps among leisure travelers, and other trends for 2026.

Travel demand is holding in 2026, but growth will favor markets and brands that adapt as power shifts geographically and behaviorally.