The U.S. tourism slowdown is hitting vacation rentals especially hard, according to AirDNA data shared exclusively with Skift.
International short-term rental demand fell 4.7% in January, outpacing the 3.5% drop in overall inbound visitation.
A pullback in leisure travel from Canada is fueling the decline, with bookings down 23% year-over-year in March. That’s stacked on top of last year’s 15.5% slide, which followed the Trump administration’s discussions around tariffs and making Canada the 51st state. AirDNA Chief Economist Jamie Lane said there are "no signs of relief" as Canadians opt for vacations closer to home or in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
With the World Cup less than two months away, Lane said the U.S. is running out of time to ease international travelers’ concerns.
CIVITATIS + SKIFT
SkiftX sat down with Civitatis' new CEO to find out how the company is simplifying trip planning — and why their reimagined app is a game changer for Spanish and Latin American travelers.
EDITOR’S PICKS
The Great Rebalancing: Asia’s Advantage and Why Travel Brands Need to Catch Up
April 29, 2026
The Iran war disrupted travel across key corridors, but it also exposed a larger shift already underway. Asia increasingly brings together the demand growth, traveler demographics, value, and digital behavior shaping the industry’s next decade. Many strategies are still built around the demand patterns of the previous one.
#Boycott: The Travel Risk Destinations Now Face
April 27, 2026
Geopolitics no longer hovers in the background for travel, it shows up directly in booking numbers. It could be a diplomatic freeze, or a conflict nowhere near your destination. Demand vanishes or, almost worse, reroutes overnight to a competitor destination that was ready to catch it.
The travel industry is moving from AI experimentation to execution, with real impact across distribution, operations, and customer experience. The Skift Data + AI Summit returns June 3 in New York City, bringing industry leaders together to share the next wave of AI applications and data strategies shaping travel.
SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
Intrepid Travel is proving that you can build a mission-driven travel company and still be more profitable than ever. In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers tees up a Skift Global Forum conversation moderated by Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit with Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton.
Thornton breaks down how Intrepid uses a balanced stakeholder model and its B Corp framework to keep value in local communities while delivering an outstanding customer experience. He explains what is powering growth right now, from baby boomers chasing immersive experiences to younger travelers prioritizing trips over traditional milestones, and why the American market is the next big unlock through shorter, more flexible adventures.
SKIFT TRAVEL 200
How are public travel tech companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.
