[The Travel News=Manjae Lee] As the travel industry approaches 2026, a flood of “trend forecasts” has emerged. Major players such as HanaTour, the Korea Tourism Organization, Skyscanner, and global OTA and travel tech companies are all presenting their visions of the future.
Despite differences in tone and terminology, one striking similarity stands out: almost none of them talk about “growth.”
Instead, they describe a market that is becoming more personal, more fragmented, more automated—and fundamentally restructured.
Skyscanner points to AI-driven personalization becoming the default travel experience. HanaTour emphasizes emotion- and motivation-based travel consumption. Airbnb speaks of identity-driven stays rather than destination-driven ones. The Korea Tourism Organization frames the future as a coexistence of contrasting values rather than linear expansion.
Different languages, same message:
2026 is not a year of expansion, but a year of structural choice.
The keywords repeat themselves—personalization, downsizing, AI, platforms, restructuring. These are not buzzwords. They are signals that the traditional mass-market travel model is no longer sustainable.
Demand may remain, but the system that once supported large-scale group travel, lowest-price competition, and volume-based distribution is losing its effectiveness.
In reality, personalization also means individualized responsibility. Smaller, modular travel products increase operational risk. AI is not merely a productivity tool—it is becoming a gatekeeper of distribution. “Explainable pricing” reflects a market where transparency, not cheapness, determines choice.
Whether driven by data (global platforms), framing (travel companies), or policy (public institutions), all forecasts converge on one conclusion:
The core of competition is no longer the product itself, but distribution power, trust, and narrative clarity.
Travel knowledge alone is no longer enough.
Understanding platforms, visibility, and decision architecture is now decisive.
This shift is quiet but irreversible. Products without visibility do not exist. Offers without explanation are not chosen. Brands without identity are pushed into price wars.
Growth has ended.
What remains is a question of structure—and choice.
