Seth Borko

Seth Borko leads Skift Research, the premier source of market research and business intelligence on the travel industry. He oversees the team's 45+ annual reports covering hotels, airlines, online travel, short-term rentals, travel experiences, traveler behavior, and destinations.

Seth co-hosts the Skift Travel Podcast with Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit, where they discuss the latest news, research, and insights shaping the business of travel. He's also an accomplished public speaker, combining data-driven analysis with a passion for travel and an understanding of industry history to bring emerging trends to life. Before joining Skift in 2018, Seth worked in finance at J.P. Morgan.

Areas of Research

Seth researches how consumer trends, economics, distribution, and technology intersect across the global travel industry. He has a focus on hotels, airlines, and online travel agencies. He leads the Skift research team in translating its findings into clear, compelling perspectives for industry leaders—bringing together data, analysis, and real-world context to deliver meaningful and actionable insights for readers, clients, and event audiences.

Airlines

Skift Global Travel Economy Outlook 2020

We head into 2020 with more question marks than any year of this cycle. Risks are rising and the global economy is slowing. But, crucially, we are still growing and our base case forecast travel growth to continue next year.

Seth Borko and Wouter Geerts | 7 years ago

Hospitality

A Deep Dive into OYO 2019: The World's Fastest Growing Hotel Chain

Oyo promises a new type of hotel company. It’s an asset-light brand that seeks to connect the global long tail of mom-and-pop hotels through its tech and distribution platform. But can it live up to the hype? Skift Research dives deep into Oyo’s business strategy and financial performance.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Hospitality

European Union Accommodation Sector: Skift Research Estimates 2019

The European Union is the largest tourism destination in the world. Its accommodation sector is critical infrastructure supporting all of those travelers. Understand what shifts are taking place not just at the top level but also across subsectors, countries, and companies.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Consumer Habits

U.S. Traveler Profile and Key Statistics

The U.S. is one of the most diverse countries in the world and its residents' travel habits reflect that. That makes studying different demographics and travel spending categories key to understanding the American traveler.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Consumer Habits

Global Travel Economics 2019-2029

As many as four out of the next five new outbound travelers in the next decade could come from the emerging world. Are you prepared for the center of gravity in travel to shift?

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Destinations

Natural Language Processing: Media Sentiment as an Indicator of Overtourism

Overtourism is one of the biggest challenges faced by the travel industry. Quantifying it helps diagnose and fight the issue. Our new method of measuring local sentiment toward tourists can build upon and complement existing overtourism metrics.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Distribution

Online Travel Agency Briefing: Highlights of Booking Holdings’ and Expedia Group’s 2018 Earnings

There's a reason we love earnings season: lot's of interesting new company data points.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Airlines

Venture Investment Trends and Startup Opportunities in Travel

Analyzing startups helps us understand what the future of travel holds. The latest generation of startups promises innovation across many facets of travel: hospitality, tours, airlines, business travel, and more.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Airlines

U.S. Airline Sector: Skift Research Estimates 2019

Want to understand the U.S airline industry, but short on time? Our proprietary estimates will allow you to understand how the the market is changing, which airlines are growing fastest, and the most important operational metrics at a glance.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Airlines

Skift Global Travel Economy Outlook 2019

As we wrap up 2018, our latest Skift Research report dives into what went well this year and what we can expect heading into 2019. Looking ahead, we expect another strong year of economic growth, with a few different puts and takes, which should translate well for the travel industry.

Rebecca Stone and Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Distribution

Skift Research E-Book: The Amazon Factor in Travel

Amazon's influence over travelers is likely to grow. Perhaps it will be a direct competitor, or maybe an advertising partner. In either case, travel companies need to pay careful attention. Our limited edition e-book evaluates lessons, threats, and opportunities that Amazon presents for the travel industry.

Seth Borko | 7 years ago

Online Travel

Skift Research E-Book: The New Wave of Venture Capital and Startups in Travel

The travel industry, no stranger to disruption, is experiencing a new wave of venture-backed startups. These businesses are generally larger than ever before and focused on bringing new customers and products into the digital travel fold. We expect this momentum to continue and for it have an impact on executives, founders, and investors throughout the sector.

Seth Borko | 8 years ago