The Rebalancing of Travel and Decline of Brand Loyalty

The travel industry has been locked into a familiar debate for months: Is demand holding up? Is the economic slowdown finally here?

Our latest global research tells us that framing misses the real story.

Travel demand isn’t weakening. It’s restructuring.

Across the U.S., the UK, India, and China, travelers are still planning trips and still allocating meaningful budgets to travel. What’s changing is where growth is coming from, how travelers plan, and what actually drives loyalty in an AI world. 

Growth Is Shifting — Not Stalling

One of the clearest signals comes from Skift Research’s newly constructed Travel Confidence Index, which blends travel intent, expected trip volume, spending outlook, and the importance of travel in everyday life. 

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