According to a recent Phocuswright travel research report, U.S. airlines notched a second consecutive year of 5% revenue growth in 2018, fueled by steady capacity additions, an uptick in passenger volume, improved yield and growth in demand for ancillaries. Here are the four most notable trends and stories that are impacting the U.S. airline segment in 2019.

The verdict is in: Hotel loyalty rates are paying off – at least for some of the largest chains with robust loyalty programs. It's been roughly two years since many U.S. chains started offering lower rates to loyalty members, circumventing rate parity rules with OTAs. According to a new Phocuswright travel research report, U.S. Hotel & Lodging 2018: Key Developments, hotels are now catching up to OTAs in terms of online distribution. Meanwhile, after years of double-digit growth in OTA sales, gains will fall to single digits in 2019 and beyond.

A strong economy and high consumer confidence fueled strong travel performance in 2018. Phocuswright's recent travel research identifies four key developments that make the U.S. online travel agency (OTA) market an exciting one to watch in 2019.

New Phocuswright research has found the travel startup ecosystem is backed by more than 80 travel-focused accelerators, incubators, early-stage investors and entrepreneur support programs. The Phocuswright analyst team tracked the development of the sector over the course of the last half a decade and produced what could be the first comprehensive list and free download of organizations helping new businesses entering the travel industry. PhocusWire's editor in chief explores this new research with Michael Coletta, manager of research and innovation for Phocuswright in a Q&A format …

The European tour operator segment continued its comeback in 2018 despite challenges such as high cost and complexity of packages, digital platform growth, and OTA/supplier competition. Gross bookings are projected to climb 4%, with similar growth expected over the next several years, according to Phocuswright's recent travel research.

Online travel agencies (OTAs) operating in the European travel market find themselves in an interesting position in 2018. On the one hand, these intermediaries have been instrumental in the maturation of the region's online travel marketplace, and the key players in the category are household names among European travelers.

Recent Phocuswright research identified seven key trends and developments in the European online travel market. Phocuswright Europe (15-16 May in Amsterdam) provides more sought-after research, valuable industry data and expert analysis.

The U.S. travel market is projected to grow a healthy 5% in 2018, benefiting from positive economic performance, particularly in the first three quarters of the year. Despite ongoing political turmoil and a contentious midterm election, consumer confidence and spending remained high.

Despite a variety of economic and political challenges throughout the region, Europe's total travel market continues to expand. Gross travel bookings will climb 2% to €286 billion in 2018. Read on to see the seven key trends and developments in Europe's online travel market.

Scandinavia's well-deserved reputation as a safe travel destination continues to boost the region's travel market. Travel gross bookings are projected to increase to €16.7 billion in 2018, and rise 3% annually to reach €18.7 billion by 2022. Denmark, Norway and Sweden each rank among the top 15 countries worldwide in 2017 nominal per capita GDP, a strong indicator of the region's economic health. Overall, Nordic GDP grew ...