Booking Holdings sees “stable growth,” surpasses expectations

Despite industry-wide concerns about political sentiment and
potential economic impacts, on its Thursday evening earnings call, Booking Holdings said
it saw stable demand globally in the first quarter of 2025.

The company observed changes in travel patterns, including a
“moderation in trends” for inbound travel to the United States, but it also saw
improvements in other corridors, specifically from Canada to Mexico.

With these offsetting one another, Booking Holdings chief
financial officer Ewout Steenbergen said the company saw “stable growth
overall” and told analysts that the company didn’t see an impact from the
general economic environment.

“These results demonstrate how our globally diversified
business can help to mitigate country-specific dynamics while capturing growth
opportunities elsewhere,” he said, later telling analysts that the company is
“agnostic” to where people are traveling as they’re typically “spending…