Listen to this podcast for free in the app:
Download for free in the App Store
radio.net
Sleep timer
Save favourites
341 episodes
Can the Midterms Bring Tourists Back to America?
2026/11/06 | 45 mins.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko examine how the U.S. midterm elections could affect international tourism, traveler sentiment, and oil prices.
They also unpack Marriott's strong earnings and the growing tension with hotel owners over fees, plus new Skift Research showing how AI is changing destination discovery and repeating some of the travel industry's oldest challenges.
This episode is brought to you by ZS.
Connect with Skift
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social
X: https://twitter.com/skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
00:00 Democrats Sweep Midterms
01:24 Does Politics Move Travel
04:45 Sentiment Shift for Visitors
07:33 Iran Oil and Airfares
08:46 Markets Rally on Gridlock
11:32 Shutdown Risk for Holiday Travel
13:41 A Younger Political Generation
17:47 Hotel Earnings RevPAR Strength
18:34 Marriott Fees and Owner Pressure
21:16 Costs Rates and Incentive Fees
25:04 Hotel Outlook Signals
25:44 Affordability Drives Votes
27:24 Data Center Backlash
31:12 AI Travel Pitch Study
35:53 Holiday Banter Sharks
40:27 AI Mentions Bet Finale
41:58 Live Show Wrap UpTravel Prices Are Surging. Can Demand Keep Up?
2026/10/30 | 42 mins.U.S. airfares are up nearly 19%, but passenger volumes are essentially flat. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko examine what the latest travel data reveals about pricing power, consumer spending, and the industry's outlook for 2027.
They also discuss JetBlue's critical earnings report, Hilton's technology ambitions, Airbnb's controversial checkout policy changes, and why 6,000 people want to become the new voice of Boston Logan Airport.
This episode is brought to you by ZS.
Connect with Skift
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social
X: https://twitter.com/skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
00:00 Cold Open Weekly Number
00:37 Seth in Albuquerque
01:33 Roadrunner Sighting
02:41 Show Agenda Setup
03:10 Travel Demand Data Slide
04:02 Airlines Hotels Overseas Trends
06:58 Consumer Wages Inflation Debate
10:43 Live FRED Economics Corner
15:15 Earnings Season Overview
16:27 JetBlue Rumblings and Rally
20:06 Hilton as Tech Company
21:26 Hilton Goes Tech Forward
22:31 Nasdaq Move Signals Optics
24:23 AI Inflection Point Ahead
25:18 Airbnb Cracks Down On Chores
27:14 Host Pushback And Privacy
30:17 Airbnb Goes More Professional
34:02 Winner Boston Accent Announcer
37:06 AI Mentions Over Under Bet
39:13 Irish Coffee And Wrap UpTravel's $100 Billion Opportunity Is Being Overlooked
2026/10/23 | 47 mins.Baby boomers and retirees represent a $100 billion annual travel spending opportunity, but are travel companies paying enough attention?
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down new Skift Research on older travelers, premium spending, and the next decade of retirement travel. They also discuss shifting transatlantic travel demand, why Canadians are choosing Europe over the U.S., and the challenges destinations face in attracting visitors beyond traditional tourism hotspots. Plus, rising airfare costs and the latest airline and hotel trends.
This episode is brought to you by ZS
Connect with Skift
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social
X: https://twitter.com/skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
00:00 Retirees Spend Big
01:21 Retirement Daydreams
02:14 Ireland Summit Recap
03:20 Spooky Ghosts Detour
06:24 AI Summit Highlights
07:46 Transatlantic Trends
08:48 Canada US Split
12:27 Overtourism Spread Out
15:04 Heritage Travel Stories
19:04 Americans Travel Smarter
22:47 Boomers Fly Business
24:03 Boomer Research Backlash
25:09 Silver Tsunami Spending Surge
27:51 Selling Past Cost Consciousness
29:30 Gen X Retirement Wave
30:55 Airplane Barf Bag Debate
33:00 Wi Fi Nostalgia Ends
34:30 Travel Pet Peeves List
35:35 Winners Losers Earnings
40:08 Fares Fuel and Competition
42:08 JetBlue Lounge Design Win
45:25 Wrap Up and GoodbyeAI Agents Are Here. Travel Isn't Ready.
2026/10/16 | 37 mins.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko test whether AI agents can actually complete everyday purchases, and discover why the next battle in travel distribution may be over who can accept an agent's booking.
Fresh from Skift's Data and AI Summit Europe, Seth shares why travel companies are still struggling with agentic commerce, trust, loyalty pricing, and AI visibility. They also examine how attacks on Saudi Arabian airports threaten the kingdom's aviation ambitions and why rising airfares may finally be testing travelers' willingness to pay.
This episode is brought to you by ZS
Connect with Skift
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social
X: https://twitter.com/skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
00:00 Coffee Bet Payoff
01:53 Agentic Commerce Lessons
02:25 Budget Caps And Pastry
04:32 Delivery Confusion Moment
05:21 Which Platform Ordered
06:51 Login Blocks And Guest Checkout
08:42 Travel Industry Implications
11:36 When Agents Feel Exhausting
13:05 Loyalty Rates And Bot Risk
15:39 Agents Still Niche
16:55 Data And AI Summit Recap
17:45 Agents Arrive Fast
18:13 Get Found or Skipped
19:13 Interface Is Disappearing
19:30 Trust and Guardrails
20:10 No Clear AI Winner
21:00 Skift Events Ahead
22:08 Saudi Airport Attacks
26:16 Tourism Goals at Risk
30:04 Winners and Losers
32:06 Price Shock Reality Check
34:33 Wrap Up and FarewellAndrew Zimmern on Why Travel Needs Trust in the AI Era
2026/10/09 | 1h 1 mins.Andrew Zimmern joins Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko to discuss how AI, social media and the creator economy are changing the way travelers discover the world.
Zimmern argues that travel is entering a “trust economy,” as travelers navigate AI-generated recommendations, faceless travel accounts and millions of people presenting themselves as experts. He also explains why context matters more than bucket-list travel, what the demand for his guided trips says about the appetite for human-led experiences, and why he believes we all need “editors” in our lives.
The conversation covers food, overtourism, travel media, social discovery, hotels and some of Zimmern’s favorite destinations and travel experiences.
This episode is brought to you by ZS
Connect with Skift
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social
X: https://twitter.com/skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
00:00 Special Guest Intro
00:55 NYC Pizza Rant
02:03 Suprema Photo Story
05:46 Price Value Debate
08:58 Lines And Hype
11:43 From Food Lines To Overtourism
16:00 Elitism And Bucket Lists
18:44 Curated Tours Done Right
20:35 Russ And Daughters Lore
22:55 Whitefish Express History
24:58 Kayak Fishing Close Call
26:29 Travel Media In The Phone Era
31:39 Trust Amid Uncertainty
32:38 Trust Economy Shift
35:06 Traditional Media Credibility
36:43 Creating Without Gatekeepers
37:34 Why Everyone Needs Editors
43:41 From Bootstraps to Globalism
44:40 Inside Zimmern Tours
49:36 China Travel Obsession
50:39 Surprisingly Great Cruise
53:11 Hotel Geek Favorites
58:02 Travel Prep Through Fiction
59:16 Final Thanks and Signoff
More Aviation podcasts
Trending Aviation podcasts
About The Skift Travel Podcast
Get the latest from the most-trusted travel industry news source.
Skift sits down with creatives, executives, and entrepreneurs from across travel to discuss their insights and perspectives on the hows and whys of travelers’ habits, industry patterns, and the seismic changes happening across the industry.
Listen for exclusive conversations with travel leaders and Skift's own in-house editors and analysts.
Read the latest news every day at skift.com/news.
Podcast websiteListen to The Skift Travel Podcast, AvTalk - Aviation Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
Get the free radio.net app
- Stations and podcasts to bookmark
- Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Supports Carplay & Android Auto
- Many other app features
Get the free radio.net app
- Stations and podcasts to bookmark
- Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Supports Carplay & Android Auto
- Many other app features
The Skift Travel Podcast
Scan code,
download the app,
start listening.
download the app,
start listening.
The Skift Travel Podcast: Podcasts in Family
South Africa
