notitur.com September 16, 2026
Tendencias & Innovación1 min read

Skift's Power Rankings 2026: builders now run the show

JSBy Joan SanzCurated by Joan Sanz. · September 16, 2026 · Follow on LinkedIn
Voice reading · ~1 min

Skift has published its annual power list and the headline leaves little room for debate: the weight of the industry sits with those who build. The 2026 ranking (Power Rankings 2026) gathers 25 names chosen on a very specific criterion: initiatives that are ambitious, audacious and genuinely useful. No inflated CVs, no pompous titles. Product people actually use.

In my reading, that is the interesting shift this year. For a long time travel power lists were packed with executives from big groups and distribution chiefs with market share. This Skift edition seems to move in another direction, prioritising those getting their hands dirty solving real problems across hotels, airlines, OTAs and travel-tech.

That a publication like Skift (Skift) puts the verb build at the centre is a clear signal for vendors and commercial teams. If you sell technology to hotels or airlines, review your pitch and match it against the names on that list. The useful question is simple: does what you offer sit alongside those audacious, useful initiatives, or does it only sound good on a slide?

Quick questions

What is Skift's Power Rankings 2026?
It is the annual list Skift publishes with the 25 most powerful people in travel. In the 2026 edition the bar is clear: it rewards those building ambitious, useful initiatives, not those stacking up titles.
Why does Skift pick builders over big executives?
According to the outlet itself, power in the industry has changed hands. It is no longer measured by market share or company size, but by the ability to ship products, tools and operations the rest of the sector ends up using.
What does it mean for a travel tech vendor to make that list?
Pitch validation. Recognition from an international outlet for what you build opens doors in enterprise sales, funding rounds and partnerships. If you are not on it, the list also works as a thermometer of who runs each vertical.
Who is worth following from the Power Rankings 2026?
Everyone tagged as a builder. They tend to be founders, CPOs and product leaders. Watching where they work and what they ship gives you an almost exact snapshot of the trends about to hit hotels, airlines and distribution.
Does the Power Rankings change anything for my hotel or airline strategy?
As a signal, yes. If the people with power are those building useful solutions, your team's priority is to identify which technologies on that list can move your P&L and pilot them before your competitors do.

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