If the World Cup Couldn't Fix U.S. Tourism, What Will?

0:00Music

0:10U.S. Inbound Tourism just posted its fourth straight monthly decline, even with the World Cup. Travel creators are pivoting to shorter, cheaper trips because that's what their audiences want. And a big question about AI. Should your travel agent work for you or for the company that built it? It's Friday, August 14th. I'm Sarah Dandeshi, and this is the Skip Daily Briefing. First up, the World Cup is done. Spain won, and the tourism numbers are in. And well, they're not great. Overseas visits to the U.S. fell 7 % in July, four months of declines in a row. We're still nearly 23 % below pre-pandemic levels, and 14 of the top 20 countries that normally send us tourists have pulled back, including those countries that had teams playing here this summer.

0:55For example, France down nearly 24%, Germany down 14%, and Spain, who won the whole series, still down 2.7%. The head of the U.S. Travel Association said it best,

1:06Sarah Dandashy: if we can't grow tourism during the World Cup, what happens during a normal September? That is a great question, and Los Angeles needs to be asking that same question right now, because the 2028 Olympics are being planned pretty much on the same assumptions, and this summer was a warning sign. Next up, travel creators are seeing a real shift. Their followers don't want two-week international adventures right now. They want weekend getaways, day trips, affordable and close to home. The day trip hashtag on TikTok is actually up 100 % in the last 90 days and a third of travelers cutting back are actually choosing shorter trips.

1:42Sarah Dandashy: Sheila Hayes, for example, a Florida-based travel creator said that more than half of her July content was about places that you can drive to in-state. Anna Maria Island, Clearwater Beach, the Orlando area. Last July, she was posting about international trips and flying with points. That is a very dramatic shift just in one year. And Sandy Hazellip and Ellie Hanby of the Traveling Grannies on TikTok with over 110 ,000 followers said that their audience is now asking for local content. Even their fans who love watching them travel the world are saying that they can't afford those trips right now, and so they want to see that local content.

2:17Sarah Dandashy: High airfares and economic uncertainty are changing how people travel. Shorter, closer, and most importantly, more affordable. And finally, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg published something this week that the travel industry should be paying attention to. His argument, your AI assistant should work for you and not for the company that built it. Ultimately, know your budget, your preferences, and that will help you find the best deal full stop. But here is the catch. Every AI travel tool right now from Booking's Trip Planner, Expedia's Assistant, Hotel Chatbots, all of them work for the seller. They're not going to tell you that the same flight or hotel is cheaper somewhere else.

2:54Sarah Dandashy: That's against the whole point. And even if Meta builds something truly traveler first, they made$196 billion from advertising just last year. So at some point, someone's going to want to sell you something inside that chat. So in a nutshell, an AI that actually shops for you, well, that sounds amazing, but whether anyone will ever really let that happen, that is a question and absolutely worth watching. That's it for your Skiff Daily Briefing. For more industry news, head to skiff.com and as always, subscribe at skiff.com backslash daily.