Skift Research: Travel’s Great Recalibration Index

The Decision Brief Seth Borko, Head of Research, Skift THE VERDICT AI is shrinking the consideration set. Borko said the old world of search had dozens of links; the new world of agentic curation will have a shortlist. The brands that don’t stand for something specific will be the first to disappear from the AI-curated shortlist. PATHS FORWARD Earn Gen Z trust through products designed for their reality. Borko said Gen Z business trips will double by 2030 to 126 million. He said this cohort reports feeling “anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed” about business travel. Given a hypothetical $4,000 to spend on something fun, Gen Z ranked travel lower than every other generation. The brands that understand and ease their anxiety can inspire a lifetime of loyalty. Invest in AI visibility as aggressively as you invested in SEM. Borko said the industry spends over $10 billion a year on search engine marketing, and that spend is shifting. He said high-income travelers and business travelers are “your most important customers … and they are adopting AI the fastest.” Companies over-allocating their distribution budget to the old search model may consider balancing their investments. Build a brand that stands for something AI agents can surface. Borko said three-quarters of travelers feel hotel brands are similar to one another. He said in a world where AI curates a shortlist rather than presenting a full page of results, brands need to give agents “surface area” and “something to grab onto.” Brand sameness was tolerable when search gave everyone shelf space, but doesn’t work in the AI-agent era. WHAT TO WATCH Borko said over half of travelers switched a previously confirmed booking after seeing a better option on social media. Combined with the McKinsey panel’s finding that 50% rebook after initial booking, the post-transaction window is now the most contested phase of the journey. Every booking is provisional until the traveler checks in. Borko said older generations reported a stronger urgency to travel now and a preference to spend savings on experiences rather than pass them down as inheritance. This “travel inheritance” — trillions in boomer and Gen X wealth being spent rather than saved — is a near-term demand tailwind the industry hasn’t fully priced in. Access all the Skift Takeaways from this event, as well as full session videos, presentation documents, and more editorial coverage at our Skift Global Forum attendees hub.