Skift Translatlantic Summit 2026: Identifying Growth
The Skift Translatlantic Summit 2026 revealed resilient North American demand for Europe, alongside shifting travel habits and fragmentation.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- U.S. trips to Europe fell about 1% in July from a record 2025, while Canadian travel to the U.S. dropped over 23%.
- 92% of U.S. consumers plan to spend the same or more on travel compared to the previous year.
- More than half of travelers now use artificial intelligence to plan their trips.
- Certares committed $2.3 billion to high-speed rail, though selling tickets via agents remains challenging.
Travel across the transatlantic corridor remains in a dynamic transition phase. Although demand is durable, companies must adapt quickly to shifting consumer behaviors and increased market fragmentation. Insights shared at the Skift Translatlantic Summit highlighted how North American travel preferences toward Europe continue to hold up while becoming significantly more selective.
According to Skift Advisory's Iva Kutle Škrlec, U.S. trips to Europe in July experienced a minor decline of about 1% coming off a record 2025 peak. Meanwhile, Canadian and American travel preferences are diverging notably, with Canadian travel to the U.S. dropping more than 23% while Canadian trips to Europe actually experienced growth.
Mastercard's Ailish Campbell reported that 92% of U.S. consumers intend to spend the same or more on travel compared to a year ago, though they are carefully balancing value for money against thinner discretionary income. Tourism Ireland's Alice Mansergh added that North American volume rose 5% with spending up 10%, noting that one-third of surveyed consumers feel conditions are too uncertain and over half desire flexible or refundable bookings.
Photo by Product School / Unsplash
Policy friction has also become a critical operational concern. Maja Bakran Marcich of the European Commission noted that biometric entry and exit queues are here to stay, while Certares founder Greg O'Hara pointed out that European travel numbers into the U.S. have collapsed over the past two years.
The shifts observed across the transatlantic corridor indicate that travel companies can no longer rely on traditional playbooks. The widening gap between travelers utilizing AI tools and destinations offering formal AI strategies highlights an urgent need for digital transformation to better serve value-conscious and flexible travelers.
Demand is shifting into shoulder months faster than travelers are moving away from major gateway cities. Aer Lingus's Reid Moody expects primary hub cities to retain the bulk of transatlantic capacity through 2030, while Kutle Škrlec observed that September already outdrew August for U.S. arrivals to Europe last year.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping discovery, with Sojern's Sylvia Weiler noting that more than half of travelers leverage AI for planning, contrasted with only about a quarter of destinations having a published AI strategy. Furthermore, destination dispersal faces distribution bottlenecks as O'Hara explained that Certares has committed approximately $2.3 billion to European and UK high-speed rail, yet selling a train ticket through an agent or online travel agency remains nearly impossible.
Source: Skift
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