Many of the trends that dictated travel spending in 2025 will remain in play in 2026, including market bifurcation, AI influence, and anti-US sentiment.

Travel media networks like Marriott, Expedia, and Uber are tapping loyalty data to compete in commerce media. To drive growth, TMNs are turning to off-site activations, cross-industry partnerships, and non-endemic advertising.

Retail media is not just for retailers anymore. US commerce media ad spending is projected to hit $118.4 billion by 2029, growing at a 15.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), per a May EMARKETER forecast.

Economic concerns and global tensions are forcing travelers to rethink their summer plans as booking windows shrink and cost-consciousness rises.

At Cannes Lions 2025, commerce media partnerships once again reigned supreme. Once the domain of digital shelf tactics and retail data, commerce media is now reshaping how brands show up across social platforms, connected TV (CTV), and in-store displays. This year’s festival offered a glimpse into a more integrated, AI-driven future—one where conversational ads, programmatic pipes, and real-world touchpoints blur the lines between media and purchase.

The news: Hotel companies are expanding their upscale offerings to capitalize on strong demand for unique and customized accommodations among affluent consumers. Our take: Luxury and lifestyle brands are weathering economic ambiguity better than economy lodging. This divergence indicates that upscale, experiential offerings will be more resilient, while economy hotels face headwinds from cost-conscious consumers.

Travel brands and issuers are pushing premium cards to attract affluent consumers and boost revenues

Half (49%) of people in the US are traveling between Thanksgiving and mid-January, according to Deloitte. With so many people getting on planes, trains, and automobiles, advertisers have increased opportunities to reach consumers across travel media networks, especially those who are younger and higher-income.

Leisure travel demand ticks up ahead of the holiday season: Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking expect reservations to accelerate in Q4.

As the AI search engine raises more capital, its reliance on data scraping casts a shadow over its ambitious plans for ad-driven revenue.

Sponsored chatbot answers may confuse users, but Perplexity is banking on brand deals to drive revenue.

While travel media networks aren’t new—Marriott has had one for years—the burgeoning commerce media landscape is ripe for travel and hospitality brands to secure their share of ad dollars.

It partnered with FreedomPay and Marriott as part of a wider shift to grow volume by focusing on payments for bigger restaurant and hospitality brands.

In the US, digital retail media and the ecommerce channel are growing faster than any other major ad format except connected TV. This report analyzes our latest retail media forecast and examines the role market uncertainty could play in this space.

Consumer spending on travel soars in Q2: That’s why companies like Airbnb and American Airlines are far more bullish than retailers about their outlooks for the rest of the year.

Co-brand card issuers and brand partners have an opportunity to reimagine their offerings in the pandemic’s wake. Leaning on newfound digitization and shifting spending habits can help providers tailor their offerings in ways that widen their net, grow volume, and appeal to the maximum number of customers.

The coronavirus has upended the US travel industry. Fears of infection, governmental measures restricting travel and access to public places, and the economic downturn will depress bookings, sales and ad spending in 2020 and beyond.