Skift is launching the latest report in our Skift Trends Reports service, The State of Travel Media 2016.

This is the second edition of our trends in travel media report, where we examine how shifting media consumption patterns are reordering the pantheon of travel media brands. Here we look at how established titles are adapting, including best practices and worst practices that have prompted media properties to thrive and suffer in this environment. Finally, we tune into the trends that will produce a whole new list of winners and losers in the coming years.

So much of what the business of travel consumer media is going through these days reflects the evolution of media consumption in general – with certain exceptions. Overall, these are tricky times for any media property. In an increasingly crowded digital space, legacy publications like The New York Times are struggling to make up for lost print revenues via digital offerings. Some, like The Economist Group, have fared better by offsetting falling print revenues with content marketing and custom research. Meanwhile, Facebook has emerged as a major headache for publishers, with the launch of Instant Articles, its pervasive positioning in the mobile environment, and ability to coerce publishers into giving over control of ad revenues. For some, online video has emerged as a savior, though creating such content remains expensive, competitive, and misaligned with certain content categories. Static written and banner oriented content – no matter how creative – must now compete head on with the visually stimulating moving image. Against this backdrop even BuzzFeed, a title that many thought had figured out the new landscape, has struggled to live up to revenue expectations.

Traffic Estimates for Top Travel Media Sites

Data Source:  Similarweb

We also examine trends in branded content, how travel suppliers are becoming their own publishers, and how this impacts established media brands.

We offer our thoughts on the future of print media and where it fits in with special interest categories such as travel.

In our 2015 report, we pointed at video as the clear future of media. This year, we take a closer look at some of the challenges that come with aligning video within the context of travel, but also social media and how these forces work together to capture vast audiences. Furthermore, much of how and where content is presented depends on advertiser preference. Here we present select data points on where advertising money is going, to help our growing Trends Community navigate today’s turbulent waters of travel media.

(SKIFT)