The Skift Travel Podcast

Growth Under Pressure: The Decisions Hotel Brands Are Making Now

Recorded live at Skift Global Forum 2026, Jeremy Kressman talks with Heather Balsley, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Peter Manoogian,

AI Is Here. Now Travel Has to Figure Out Who to Trust.

Recorded live at Skift Global Forum, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko recap the biggest conversations from three days in New York, including AI agents, autonomous vehicles, Air

The $100 Billion Travel Market Everyone Underestimates

Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko discuss Skift Research’s new Silver Tsunami report and the nearly $100 billion U.S. retirees are expected to spend on travel in 2026. They als

Premium Is Becoming Table Stakes for Travel. Now What?

Premium travel is booming, but the opportunity is becoming much bigger than luxury. In this special episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, brought to you by ZS Associates,

Travel’s New Access Divide

Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko reflect on 25 years since 9/11 and how the attacks reshaped modern travel, from TSA and airport security to PreCheck, Clear, and the airport ga

Fake AI Hotel Videos Are Coming for Travel

Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down two travel distribution stories that are really about trust. First, Skift found AI-generated TikTok Go videos promoting a Sedona lu

United’s New Routes Reveal Travel’s Next Bet

United is adding 10 new international routes, from Ibiza and Slovenia to Okinawa and Sardinia. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko discuss what the expansion says about premium l

Travel’s AI Reckoning Has Arrived

Google paid $10 million for Spirit Airlines’ data. Airbnb is showing real AI-driven savings. Booking says AI still accounts for less than 1% of room nights. Sarah Kopit

The State of Travel Is Getting Harder to Control

Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko unpack two forces reshaping travel: the creator economy’s impact on hotel brands and Skift Research’s State of Travel 2026 report. They discus

Why Every Major Hotel Brand Is Giving Money Back to Owners

Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt are all offering new relief to hotel owners. Climate is creating new operational challenges for hotels around the world. And Japan has transfo

What Earnings Season Reveals About Travel Right Now

Fora became travel's newest unicorn, Amazon is pushing deeper into AI travel booking, and earnings season is revealing where the industry is gaining momentum. Sarah Kopi

We Graded Our Biggest 2026 Travel Megatrends

The U.S. passport is no longer among the world's most powerful. Skift revisits its biggest travel megatrends of 2026, and The Odyssey is already driving tourism in Norway

The New Economics of Travel: Fewer Tourists, More Money

The World Cup didn't deliver the inbound tourism boost many expected. Delta still posted strong earnings despite soaring fuel costs. And new Skift Research points to Lati

AI, Visa, and the New Battle for Travel Customers

Visa is becoming a travel company. Mews is restructuring around AI. And Gen Z is already reshaping business travel. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko explore how new competitor

Are Hotel Brands Worth It Anymore?

More than 1,200 hotel franchise agreements are set to expire by 2030, and some owners are deciding it's time to leave the big brands behind. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko e

The World Cup's Most Unexpected Winner: America

The World Cup brought international visitors to America, expecting one thing and finding something completely different. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko discuss the Knicks' c

$3.4 Billion Is Pouring Into Travel Startups. Here's Why.

Travel startups raised $3.4 billion last year, but AI may be reshaping where the next generation of travel companies emerges. Seth Borko and venture capitalist Gilad Ber

Hotels Tried to Cut Out Expedia. Here's What Happened.

Seth Borko and Sean O'Neill discuss the biggest lessons from Skift's Data + AI Summit and revisit a decade of hotel direct-booking strategy. They examine why hotels impr

Travel’s AI Problem Is Bigger Than Most Companies Realize

Sarah Kopit and Adriana Lee break down why the travel industry may not actually be ready for AI despite the rush to adopt it. They explore fragmented hotel data systems,

Airbnb Is Becoming a Real OTA

Sarah Kopit reports live from Airbnb’s Summer Release event in San Francisco as Brian Chesky unveils Airbnb’s expansion into hotels, car rentals, services, and experience