EPISODE · Feb 12, 2026 · 35 MIN
Ozempic, Travel, and the End of the Old Vacation Model
from The Skift Travel Podcast · host Skift
Weight loss drugs may be one of the most underestimated forces reshaping travel. In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko unpack how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are quietly changing who travels, where they go, and how they spend. As obesity rates decline for the first time in decades and medication prices fall, travelers are unlocking trips they once thought were impossible, from walkable European cities to long-delayed bucket-list experiences. The conversation explores how this shift affects hotels, cruises, airports, and destinations. They debate whether cruise lines could lose part of their core audience, why airports may need to rethink food, alcohol, and retail revenue, and how experiential travel becomes more important as physical barriers fade. Along the way, they connect the dots to major cultural moments like the Super Bowl halftime show and the Olympics, showing how entertainment, health, and tourism increasingly intersect. A timely look at why travel demand is changing, and why the industry may be less prepared than it thinks. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! 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.
What this episode covers
Weight loss drugs may be one of the most underestimated forces reshaping travel. In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko unpack how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are quietly changing who travels, where they go, and how they spend. As obesity rates decline for the first time in decades and medication prices fall, travelers are unlocking trips they once thought were impossible, from walkable European cities to long-delayed bucket-list experiences. The conversation explores how this shift affects hotels, cruises, airports, and destinations. They debate whether cruise lines could lose part of their core audience, why airports may need to rethink food, alcohol, and retail revenue, and how experiential travel becomes more important as physical barriers fade. Along the way, they connect the dots to major cultural moments like the Super Bowl halftime show and the Olympics, showing how entertainment, health, and tourism increasingly intersect. A timely look at why travel demand is changing, and why the industry may be less prepared than it thinks. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! 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.
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Ozempic, Travel, and the End of the Old Vacation Model
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