Latest Research

Skift Travel Health Index

Skift Travel Health Index: March 2024 Highlights

The Travel Health Index in March 2024 shows an overall softening trend compared to the previous month, with the index dropping by 4 pp. However, some countries continue to showcase robust growth, with China, Japan, and Hong Kong at the forefront with double-digit growth levels.
Airlines

The Opportunity for Long-Haul, Low-Cost Airlines

Despite the setbacks faced by many low-cost carriers (LCCs) around the world in their long-haul operations, LCCs in the United States and Asia have been steadily increasing their capacity on long-haul routes. So far, the results have been positive. With the availability of better aircrafts, a growing middle class and the evolving travel preferences of young travellers, there could be a billion-dollar opportunity waiting for LCCs.
Skift Travel Health Index

Skift Travel Health Index: February 2024 Highlights

The travel industry continues to demonstrate a positive momentum in February 2024, gaining 7% year-on-year. Asia Pacific continues to be the frontrunner but slightly reducing growth levels indicate a trend towards normalization.
Online Travel

India's Travel Booking Landscape

India’s travel booking landscape is rapidly shifting online, driven by the younger demographic, rising smartphone penetration, and improving internet connectivity across the country. Currently diverse and fragmented, the online travel landscape, is poised for dynamic growth as local players strive to maintain their dominance and Western OTAs take steps to tap into the emerging opportunity.
Distribution

The Past, Present, and Future of Online Travel

The golden era of Booking and Expedia is facing challenges of slowing growth and increased competition, prompting a fierce battle for market share through innovation and expansion efforts amid a changing landscape.
Airlines

The Challenge With Long-Haul, Low-Cost Airlines

The Long Haul Low-Cost business model has proved to be a challenge for airline executives, with very little success and numerous airline fatalities. However, with the evolution of the low-cost airline business model, changes in travel preferences post-pandemic, and advancements in aircraft technology, could we finally see a breakthrough in the last remaining frontier of commercial aviation?
Skift Travel Health Index

Skift Travel Health Index: January 2024 Highlights

As we enter 2024, the travel industry is poised for strong growth, building on the recovery momentum of 2023. The Skift Travel Health Index now benchmarks performance year-on-year, moving away from the 2019 benchmark. In January 2024, the index stands at 114, a 14-point increase from January 2023, signaling continued resilience and expansion in the industry.
Skift Travel Health Index

Skift Travel Health Index: The 2024 Transition

2023 marked a significant milestone when global travel recovered and exceeded expectations, setting new benchmarks. As we move away from the COVID era, in 2024, the Skift Travel Health Index is shifting its focus to year-on-year (YoY) indexing instead of continuing to compare against 2019 levels.
Hospitality

Outbound Travel 2024: Asia's Big Year, Europe's Slowdown

Asia the new Europe in 2024? As the world gears up for another year of post-pandemic travel, the industry will see Asia take the center stage, driving growth in 2024 while Europe stabilizes at modest growth levels.