The 2022 Skift Global Forum took place last month, and Koddi’s travel industry experts brought back lots of new insights to share. The travel industry is still paving the new way forward and adapting to our post-Covid world; the Global Forum was an unprecedented opportunity for industry leaders to come together and discuss what lies ahead for the business of travel.

Here are some of our team’s key learnings from the 2022 Skift Global Forum.

• The industry’s big focus is getting back to basics and continuing recovery; specifically regarding Asia, post-pandemic recovery will struggle until China comes back
• A major shared goal is reducing traveler anxiety by providing safety and competitive pricing
• The industry is moving toward connected travel – new app integrations will streamline travel booking and details in a one-stop-shop environment 
• Travelers are looking further out, and short-term rentals are bigger in 2022 than in 2019
• Google Travel says advertising partners have struggled to find demand in the post-pandemic world; as such, Google pivoted to alerting advertisers on key opportunities and providing guidance to users about Covid-safe hotels
• According to AirBnB, everyone is going everywhere – not just major markets, but remote destinations; cities aren’t presently as important as they were before Covid, as workers can now do their jobs anywhere
• The lines between business, life, and travel, will continue to blur and integrate, with the catchphrase “bleisure” gaining traction – meaning when people extend existing business trips for more personal exploration and adventure
• According to Jennifer Andre, Global Vice President of Business Development at Expedia, international travel is up 50% in Q2 YoY
• Gen Z and millennials are traveling more than boomers, and are working with tour companies to generate itineraries; relatedly, the industry has seen a 30% increase in travel agents due to increasing and evolving personalization (per Skift’s travel presentation)
• Train services are now included in Google Travel – the service works similarly to Google’s flight service, allowing users to book directly
• Data personalization is evolving with the smart shopper in mind; the industry focus is on highlighting consumer needs directly

Now it’s your turn; tell us, what do you think is next for the world of travel? We want to hear from you!