7 Travel Claims — Fact or Fiction?

Where does Skift Research stand on some common claims about the state of the travel industry?

At the Skift Megatrends event in New York, Head of Research Seth Borko put seven of them to the test. Some are fact, some are fiction — here’s what the data shows.

1. The Economy is Struggling … Travel Is at Risk

That’s fiction. While Borko acknowledged significant economic uncertainty, he said data on unemployment, inflation, and GDP indicated a largely stable economy. He added that a Skift Research Global Travel Outlook survey of 820 travelers from the U.S., UK, China, and India found that travel was overwhelmingly the top category for consumers’ discretionary spending.

“We know that as long as people have the money, they want to spend on travel,” Borko said. “It’s going to be a roller coaster. But as long