The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed that bookings for intra-European travel during the Easter period have increased by more than 250%, while summer bookings are currently 80% above 2021 levels. According to ForwardKeys, a leading travel data and analytics company, intra-European flight bookings for the Easter and summer periods have soared compared to last year, providing a welcome boost for travel and tourism businesses across the continent.
During its participation in FITUR, the WTTC, the global tourism body, offered hope to the struggling sector. Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO, said: “The latest booking data shows that Europeans are optimistic about traveling again. Bookings for Easter and the summer look strong.”.
“Problems arise when governments react with travel restrictions. The World Health Organization says that closing borders makes no sense when Omicron is already present in the community. All it does is damage the economy and livelihoods.”.
“We urge governments to reduce all travel restrictions and allow fully vaccinated travelers to move freely. Spain, which hosts FITUR, a major travel and tourism trade fair, is keeping its borders open and is committed to free movement and the economy.”.
According to booking data, intra-European travel during Easter and summer 2022 is expected to fall below pre-pandemic levels. However, as countries across the continent continue to ease travel restrictions, early signs indicate that the recovery is gaining momentum and could approach 2019 levels even further as we head into summer.
Spain is poised to be the most popular destination for European travelers, as intra-European arrivals to Spain during the first quarter of 2022 increased by 320% (year-on-year), followed by Turkey.
As travel restrictions continue to ease and consumer confidence continues to grow, the European Travel & Tourism sector should expect an increase in travel demand with a significant boost in bookings in the coming months.
In 2019, the global Travel & Tourism sector contributed nearly $9.2 trillion to the economy and accounted for 10.6% of all jobs (334 million). According to WTTC research, in 2020, when the pandemic brought international travel to a near standstill, 62 million jobs were lost, and the sector's contribution to global GDP fell by a staggering $4.5 trillion. These losses have impacted the many millions of livelihoods that depend on a thriving Travel & Tourism sector, while also significantly affecting the global economy and development.
