January 15, 2026
Skift’s Travel Megatrends for 2026 Coming to London
Fount of all data-based knowledge when it comes to the travel industry, Skift, is heading to London next week to deliver their Megatrends for the European tourist industry.
Trends include the collapse in passengers to the US and the likely impact of the upcoming World Cup. And how travel companies can deal with AI, what qualifies as luxury travel? And even the impact of mocktails on tourism.
At the event, there will be plenty to discuss, brands to meet and issues to consider from a customer and industry perspective.
The Fast-Changing Customer Travel Landscape
The Megatrends event takes place at the Hotel Café Royal, London on January 20, from 3 to 6PM. Badged as Your Guide to the Year in Travel. If you can’t make here’s a summary video roundtable discussion.
While it is focused on the industry side, there are plenty of customer-related issues that need addressing between the airlines, hotels, airports and other services that make up the hectic world of travel and hospitality.
Sarah Kopit Editor-in-Chief, Skift notes that, “If there’s a unifying theme, it’s that travel — as always — adapts. It reinvents itself. When the world gets weird (and it is very very weird right now), we find new ways to move through it. So read on, skeptically if you must. If history holds, the future is a terrible listener — but it’s always booked solid.”
With great investment on new infrastructure, like the new JFK terminal to smaller hotel chains focusing on the fine customer needs, the only constant in hospitality is change, even if most customers tend not to notice.
On the customer side, data shows that from 2020, online searches for “travel hacks” had risen by 849% in 2025. And that new trend of offline-only VacPacs, discounted vacation packages, is booming as consumers look for bargains or greater value.
Whatever the type of holiday or travel, customers will expect a quality experience and for brands to start figuring out some of the typical industry bugbears.
