EPISODE · May 15, 2026 · 44 MIN
America’s Travel Problem Is Getting Worse
from The Skift Travel Podcast · host Skift
International travel to the U.S. fell another 14% as America’s tourism challenges continue ahead of the World Cup.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down the growing perception problem facing the U.S., the pressure hotel owners are feeling from major brands, and why TikTok may become a major player in travel booking and discovery. 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 Inbound Tourism Slump 02:52 Is America Safe 05:33 Why Visitors Stay Away 08:07 World Cup Reality Check 09:38 Market Breakdown Canada EU Asia 11:50 China Trip Visa Talk 14:03 Hotel Owners Squeezed 17:47 Comment Cesspool Debate 20:14 Are Brands the Villains 22:32 Brands Aren’t Self-Correcting 24:32 AI Will Cull Hotel Brands 26:13 TikTok Shop Meets Travel 28:08 Why Experiences Sell First 29:40 Survey Data on Social Booking 31:08 Creators Close the Funnel 34:25 Live Streaming Travel Commerce 35:51 Winners and Losers Segment 36:03 Liberty Game Marketing Win 38:33 Hantavirus Cruise Panic 40:57 Ending on Women’s Sports 42:00 Wrap Up and Sign Off
What this episode covers
International travel to the U.S. fell another 14% as America’s tourism challenges continue ahead of the World Cup.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down the growing perception problem facing the U.S., the pressure hotel owners are feeling from major brands, and why TikTok may become a major player in travel booking and discovery. 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 Inbound Tourism Slump 02:52 Is America Safe 05:33 Why Visitors Stay Away 08:07 World Cup Reality Check 09:38 Market Breakdown Canada EU Asia 11:50 China Trip Visa Talk 14:03 Hotel Owners Squeezed 17:47 Comment Cesspool Debate 20:14 Are Brands the Villains 22:32 Brands Aren’t Self-Correcting 24:32 AI Will Cull Hotel Brands 26:13 TikTok Shop Meets Travel 28:08 Why Experiences Sell First 29:40 Survey Data on Social Booking 31:08 Creators Close the Funnel 34:25 Live Streaming Travel Commerce 35:51 Winners and Losers Segment 36:03 Liberty Game Marketing Win 38:33 Hantavirus Cruise Panic 40:57 Ending on Women’s Sports 42:00 Wrap Up and Sign Off
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America’s Travel Problem Is Getting Worse
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