European travel recovery continued in the second quarter of 2023, owing to high consumer demand despite stubborn inflation and increasing travel costs
European foreign tourist arrivals were 18% below 2019 levels for the full year of 2022 - Recovery in flight volumes across Europe continues to stall in the early months of 2023, as supply lags demand - The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to hinder travel recovery in Northern and Eastern European destinations
European Tourism Resilient in Face of low Consumer Confidence
Uncertainty brought about by the Omicron variant negatively impacted Europe's travel and tourism sector at the end of Q4 2021, hampering prospects for its recovery in the first quarter of 2022. Nonetheless, optimism remains as the European Travel Commission (ETC) predicts tourist arrivals to be just 20% below pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
Despite a strong summer rebound, international tourist arrivals to Europe are forecast to be 60% below 2019 by the end of 2021 - European tourist arrivals were still down 77% half-way through the year relative to 2019
Although the peak summer season has been left behind, the desire for travel remains strong across Europe. 66% of Europeans plan trips through March 2022, while increased confidence on when, where and how to travel indicates a positive tourism outlook for the coming months.
70% of respondents have travel plans in the next six months, with half wishing to visit another European country - The majority of Europeans surveyed (72%) intend to travel between June and September, while another 16% are eyeing autumn travel - Quarantine requirements and sudden changes of rules remain major concerns for Europeans
News of easing pandemic restrictions boosts travellers’ hopes for summer 2021; however, overseas trips are not yet the preferred option for many
85% plunge in international tourist arrivals to Europe, based on data to January 2021 - Accelerated vaccination programmes, coupled with expectations of UK and US markets rebound, provide hope to European destinations - International travel demand now expected to remain below its pre-pandemic trajectory until 2024
Over 60 travel and tourism organisations express their support for the European Commission’s initiative and call to ensure swift implementation in time for summer 2021.