La «economía del ni una cosa ni otra»: el gran punto ciego del sector turístico

Key Points

• The 'Neither Economy' describes millions of people who move between countries for work, family, or life, but don't fit traditional travel categories like tourists or immigrants.
• Current travel industry frameworks, like VFR, fail to capture the economic and social impact of these cross-border movers, leading to a significant blind spot in industry data and strategy.
• UN and Skift research highlight the need for new policies, infrastructure, and metrics—including portable social security and interoperable digital payments—to better support and measure this group.

Summary

The article explores the concept of the 'Neither Economy'—a rapidly growing segment of people who live cross-border lives and do not fit into traditional travel categories like tourists or immigrants. These individuals, such as migrant workers and globally mobile families, are largely ignored by current travel industry frameworks like VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives), which reduces their complex lives to simple trip purposes or risk categories. Drawing on UN and Skift research, the piece argues that the industry needs to develop new policies, infrastructure, and measurement tools to recognize and serve this overlooked market, which is increasingly critical to regional economies and travel flows.