Travel

Sharp price increases for a second year in a row failed to significantly dampen the strong demand for travel, and passenger numbers recovered strongly to move towards the 2019 pre-pandemic level. In 2022, sharp increases in fuel and energy prices,…

The number of passengers passing through Belgian airports is expected to continue to rise in 2023, with some categories, such as low cost carriers, exceeding the 2019 pre-COVID-19 pandemic level. Ryanair, the major low cost carrier is set to…

Due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, as well as many consumers not willing to travel as much as before, airlines suffered due to the pandemic in 2020-2021, with the number of passengers and value sales in both years drastically reduced.

Airlines suffered heavily due to COVID-19, with passenger numbers at Finnish airports in 2020 dropping to less than one quarter of the level of the previous year. The number of people decreased further in 2021, and, despite triple-digit growth in…

Defying expectations and predictions, there was a significant recovery in travel and tourism in the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023. Within this, airlines has been a standout performer in France as well as many other countries. The…

After over two years of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions preventing holiday-goers from flying to destinations, there were strong opportunities from 2022 to make up for lost time. However, 2022 brought other challenges to the industry, mainly…

Due to high airport fees at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” (AIA), Ryanair shut down its Athens base in October 2022. The airline withdrew two aircraft between October 29th to March 31st, leading to a reduction of scheduled…

Russia’s war in Ukraine coupled with the EU’s ambitious Zero Carbon policy continues to put pressure on fuel prices and this has led to a significant increase in the average ticket price for the end consumer. European regulators have introduced new…

Airlines is seeing strong growth in 2023 both in terms of the number of passengers but also in terms of value sales. New routes, more connections and a stronger presence in Italy is all fuelling the dynamic growth being recorded by airlines, with…

Amid the challenges faced by the industry, there have been notable developments that indicate a shift towards recovery and growth. One notable aspect is the restart of benefits, such as frequent flyer programs established at airlines. This move…

Airlines were severely impacted by the pandemic as it forced companies to adapt their offer, restructure their costs and redefine routes. With the gradual reopening of economies and air corridors, airlines are growing although the number of…

In February 2023, Globalia Group and International Airlines Group (IAG) reached an agreement for the sale of the entire airline company Air Europa. This closes a long process which began with the pre-agreement adopted in November 2019, later modified…

In 2023, airlines in Sweden continue to see a rebound in passengers, as consumers place a higher importance on travel. Despite the relatively difficult economic climate, the volume of arrivals by air returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, air…

The airline industry in Switzerland has experienced a notable period of growth in 2023. Airlines have witnessed a significant increase in the number of passengers throughout the year, both internationally and domestically. The high booking inflow…

The Dutch government increased the flight tax from EUR7.95 to EUR26.43 per passenger per outbound flight, starting on 1 January 2023. New climate and environmental regulations from the European Commission and the Dutch government will increase the…

The lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions and all borders reopening in 2023 are contributing to an upsurge in passenger traffic, resulting in flight schedules gradually reverting to their pre-pandemic levels. With the desire to explore new…

With the waning effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19), airlines is set to perform well in 2023. Having easily exceeded 2019 pre-pandemic value (constant 2023 prices) sales in 2022, dynamic, if slower, growth is expected over the final year of the review…

In 2022, Austrian consumers were still very uncertain as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. They tended to err on the side of caution, booking complete travel packages via travel agencies. Otherwise, they preferred to book hotels…

In 2023, leisure travel current value sales are expected to exceed their 2019 pre-COVID-19 pandemic level. As the threat of and measures related to the pandemic eased and lifted, Belgian consumers have been eager to travel. Leisure air travel,…

As travel suffered due to COVID-19 in 2020-2021, retail value in bookings also saw a clear decrease. With restrictions starting to lift in 2022, travel began to increase, with retail value in 2022 around the 2018-2019 level, with pent-up demand…

COVID-19 dealt a serious blow to booking in Finland. At the height of the pandemic, outbound travel was minimal, compared to normal levels, although domestic travel became more appealing. However, increased domestic travel did not compensate for the…

Booking sales have seen a strong recovery over 2022-2023. Industry players have benefited from the rearrangement of postponed travel bookings, with many consumers having postponed travelling abroad during the pandemic. After two years of restrictions…

The second half of 2022 brought economic uncertainty to what had started as an optimistic year in travel and tourism. Nevertheless, travel remained a priority that consumers wanted to spend on, especially after saving up during the two years of…

Given the strong increase in tourism flows, lodging, travel modes and foodservice had almost fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, although this was not the case for intermediaries. Even though value sales in intermediaries posted a strong…

Travel in Ireland has continued to recover in 2023, despite the challenges presented by high inflation and a drop in household budgets. In fact, summer bookings have approached pre-pandemic levels with consumers keen to travel again after a few years…

Travel intermediaries and direct suppliers are both seeing strong growth in current value terms in 2023, with strong sales seen through online and offline and in business and leisure. As a result, booking sales are set to see a full return to…

The Norwegian tourism industry has faced unprecedented challenges due to the global pandemic. As a result, many businesses within the sector were forced to lay off employees as travel restrictions and lockdowns severely impacted tourism activities.…

Although the cost of living is on an upward trend, with high levels of inflation and rising interest rates, local people continue to favour travel in 2023, taking advantage of savings amassed during the pandemic making travel affordable. While some…

Travel intermediaries, especially traditional intermediaries, suffered during the pandemic. In 2023, however, consumers continue to see a degree of complexity in travel following the two years of pandemic travel restrictions, such as specific…

Despite the economic uncertainties in 2023, pent-up travel demand from the COVID-19 pandemic is driving bookings in Sweden. With both outbound and domestic travel on the rise, driven by elevated costs owing to general inflation, booking value…

The rising cost of living has hardly had any impact on Swiss consumers’ spending plans for their holidays in 2023. According to a report from leading travel intermediaries, demand for travel is rising steadily. Both online sales and customer advice…

Current value sales of leisure packages are projected to see dynamic growth in 2023, following an exponential increment over 2022. As a result, leisure packages current value sales are expected to return very close to the 2019 pre-Coronavirus…

Reflecting the recovery in travel and rising prices, booking continues to record strong growth in 2023. Intermediary sales are outperforming direct sales. The channel is benefiting from the continual recovery of leisure cruise and leisure packages.…

Online and offline booking value (constant 2023 prices) sales exceeded their 2019 pre-Coronavirus (COVID-19) levels in 2022, in spite of the disruption caused by the war in Ukraine. Further very strong, if slower than in 2022, increments are…

The demand for lodging continued to increase in 2023. Hotel room nights are set to be only slightly below the 2019 pre-pandemic level at the end of the review period, while inflationary pressure on prices saw current value sales exceed the 2019…

Lodging (destination) continues to recover well from the COVID-19 slump in Belgium. By the end of 2023, all types of lodging are expected to exceed their 2019 pre-pandemic retail current value sales. In addition, the number of room nights in hotels…

As domestic travel continued to perform strongly in Denmark and inbound travel boomed after lifting COVID-19 restrictions, 2022 saw a rise in lodging in Denmark. This led to records in overnight stays and value spent on lodging, with the latter being…

Finland was one of the countries that imposed few restrictions on lodging during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, outlets were not forced to close nor were they restricted to only hosting certain types of guests. However, there were…

Lodging fared better in 2022 than had been expected and continues to perform well in 2023. 2020 and 2021 were a disaster for the hotel industry, with occupancy rates of 38% and 48% respectively, according to INSEE – French official statistics. The…

Sustainable designs and eco-friendly practices have become increasingly important in the construction of new hotels. Germany, known for a commitment to environmental sustainability, has embraced “green” building practice in hospitality. Many new…

Retail value sales of lodging (destination) continued to post strong retail value growth in Greece, driven by luxury and upscale hotels, which have already recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Alongside the growth of luxury and upscale hotels, there has…

The available lodging for tourists has declined in 2023 as compared to 2019. The reduction in capacity is a direct result from the government’s reliance on tourist accommodation to house those seeking refuge, followed by new legislation impacting…

Hotels have seen a strong recovery in 2023 although the recovery has been at different speeds between the different categories, with the recovery certainly being driven by an increase in average daily rates (ADR). The exception to this is hotel…

Travel in Norway has seen a notable resurgence with the return of inbound tourists, marking a positive shift in the country's tourism landscape. Growth has been seen through short-term rental accommodations, which have transformed the way travellers…

Boosted by inflation, inbound tourism recovery, a strong domestic market and the rise of average daily rates, lodging saw value sales surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with the positive trend maintained in 2023 with both value sales and bed nights…

2023 marks the return of inbound travellers to Spain, thus boosting hotel occupancy rates. Indeed, Spain is seeing a return to pre-pandemic levels of tourism, with good weather over the Easter and May bank holidays also benefitting domestic tourism.…

Sweden's lodging (destination) category experienced a significant boom in 2022, as domestic and inbound travel surged following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Overnight stays and expenditure on lodgings has surpassed pre-pandemic levels,…

Lodging has continued to show total value growth in 2023. The COVID-19 crisis and related travel restrictions had a significant impact on the tourism industry worldwide, including Switzerland. As travel restrictions have been eased and international…

The rebound in the number of outlets alongside improving inbound tourism flows are expected to boost lodging’s performance over 2023. There is set to be a further increase in the number of outlets across lodging over 2023, supported by newly-built…

In 2023, the growth of hotels is being driven by a diverse range of segments. Mid-market hotels and unrated hotels have experienced a surge in demand as consumers seek more affordable accommodation options amid the cost-of-living crisis. Mid-market…