Skift Global Forum 2025: 13 Things We Learned

This year’s Skift Global Forum in NYC was massive: We heard from more than two dozen CEOs and executives from the global travel industry.

We learned where they’re investing, the trends that are forcing business shifts, and where the growth is. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Airbnb is 'getting serious' about hotels

Airbnb wants to make hotels a central part of how people book on its platform.

“We are now getting serious about hotels,” co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said. “There’s an entire market and segment of people that aren’t being served.”

Airbnb will begin testing boutique and independent hotel listings directly alongside homes in cities like New York. It's Airbnb’s most significant move to bring hotels into its core booking flow. That shift is part of a broader push to boost growth. “I’m not happy about where the growth rate is in the company,” Chesky said.

2. Ultra-low-cost carriers may b