There are more positive signs pointing to a travel rebound this year and in the coming years, both for leisure and business travel. According to a report from Reuters, Spanish tourism officials expect the country’s tourism gross domestic product to reach $186 billion CAD in 2022. That would be 88% of pre-pandemic levels, versus just 57% for last year. Officials said they expect to return to full pre-pandemic activity by 2023. It’s not just Spain that’s painting a rosy tourism picture. The Global Business Travel Association this week said global business travel spending is expected to surge in 2022. The Read more
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The Caribbean Tourism Organization says it remains positive about the continued rebound of the tourism industry even in the face of the uncertainty caused by the ongoing pandemic. “Over the past eighteen months, Caribbean destinations, without exception, have shown their resilience in creating strategies for recovery, incorporating frequently updated travel protocols, and collaborations with regional and international partners in the areas of health and economic support and development,” the CTO said in a January 13, 2022 statement. “Recovery in each instance, has taken place while ensuring the health and safety of residents and visitors alike. “The year 2021 has given Read more
I know. I know. It’s early. We’re still seeing hospitalizations at record levels in parts of Canada and the U.S. But some health experts are beginning to see the light at the end of the Omicron tunnel, and a number of travel industry types say they expect big things in the next couple months. According to a report on CTV News, Canadian government forecasts show falling COVID-19 infection numbers coming soon for Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Halifax here in Canada. The Toronto Star today carried an Associated Press report that suggested the UK and the US could soon see declines, Read more
American travellers are feeling more jittery about travel. Again. After a two-month period of recovery, with the emergence of the Omicron variant, the coronavirus has struck back on travel sentiment and behaviours. A study by Destination Analysts finds that American travellers are feeling more anxious and less optimistic about the near-term. Openness to travel inspiration is at 59.7%, falling from 64.0% two weeks ago. In Destination Analysts’ Travel Marketing Sentiment Index, the impact of the Omicron variant is now apparent, although the declines have not dipped to the lows of the Delta-variant period. The study did not include Canadian results, Read more
There’s still more evidence of a travel rebound today. U.S. Transportation Security Administration stats for Wednesday, the day before American Thanksgiving, show that 2,311,979 travellers went through security at U.S. airports. That’s more than double the roughly 1.1 million figure from last year, and nearly 90% of the roughly 2.62 million in 2019. It’s also the largest TSA passenger figure since the start of the pandemic. On Tuesday, two days prior to Thanksgiving Day, TSA processed 2,207,949 passengers. That’s close to the 2,435,170 people who went through security in 2019. Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week are usually the busiest Read more
