Industry Landscapes

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?

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.

India is one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets, one of the largest domestic travel ecosystems, and an underpenetrated inbound destination. The Skift India Travel Scorecard shows clear, comparable data on how India is actually performing relative to its peers.

Travel venture capital is no longer in freefall — but it is far from fully recovered. Now defined by discipline, funding is concentrated in fewer, larger bets on proven companies.

Hotel loyalty is evolving into a data-driven, experience-led ecosystem where relevance and recognition define the guest relationship

Hotel brands are trading ownership for scalability through asset-light models, brand diversification, and expanding loyalty programs.

The future of travel is unfolding now; you just need the right data and insights to see it. The State of Travel report is your essential guide to understanding the trends shaping our industry and staying ahead of the modern traveler as a company, association, or destination.

As growth slows, hotels are embracing experience, innovation, and agility to navigate a cautious, yet resilient, travel landscape in 2025

In the post-pandemic environment, volatility returns: not from viruses, but from economic headwinds and disruption of the current distribution landscape. In 2025, the winners will be those who adapt quickly to a more fragmented, tech-driven landscape.

The remarkable resilience of the airline industry in the post-pandemic period is being tested once again, this time by a forced restructuring of the global economic order. As a result of recent tariff announcements, economic uncertainties are likely to reduce passenger demand, compel airlines to adjust their capacity, exacerbate supply chain issues, and potentially lead to some airlines going out of business

Recession alarm bells are going off. A global downturn isn't our base case, but it's still worth reviewing how the travel industry might perform in a worst-case scenario. Even in a turbulent market, travel won't stop — it will shift.