Skift Megatrends 2026: What’s Next for Travel, Loyalty, and Luxury

As the year comes to a close, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko unpack Skift Megatrends 2026 and what the next phase of global travel could look like. The conversation spans some of the industry’s most consequential shifts, from declining alcohol consumption and its surprising upside for hospitality, to the growing dominance of luxury travel and whether it represents a lasting structural change or a fragile bubble. They also explore mounting friction around international travel to the U.S., including new border screening proposals and what they could mean for inbound demand ahead of the World Cup. Along the way, the hosts dig into hotel loyalty’s rising costs, why travelers are increasingly “loyalty mercenaries,” and how personalization and AI are reshaping the competitive landscape. The episode closes with a look at emerging aviation innovations, winners and losers of the week, and a final bet on whether U.S. inbound travel can break its losing streak heading into 2026. This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To learn more, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising.amazon.com⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Skift: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.