GLOBAL flight bookings are forecast to recover this year, as more countries lift their inbound travel restrictions.
For one, inbound flight bookings into the Philippines are projected to rise by 29 percent in the second quarter of the year, according to a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its knowledge partner, ForwardKeys, a company that specializes in predicting global travel trends using aviation data.
In a news conference on the sidelines of the recent WTTC 21st Global Summit in Manila, Olivier Ponti, ForwardKeys Vice President Insights, said: “It is very encouraging that Asia has finally begun reopening, which is driving the return of both travel to Asia and within the region, both of which are clearly going to be instrumental in driving the global economic recovery.”
Asia-Pacific countries saw an increase in arrivals in the first quarter of the year, with flight bookings up a staggering 275 percent.
“In the second quarter,” said Ponti, “we see further acceleration of the continuing recovery with a significant rise in international bookings, which have soared by 264 percent on the year before.” This was still 76-percent off the same period in 2019, though.
Less restrictions, more bookings
He added, “This acceleration is particularly notable in Asia where travel restrictions are being removed. WTTC Global Summit host, the Philippines, is the fastest-growing single destination in Southeast Asia, up 29 percent in the second quarter this year compared to the first quarter.” He was unable to give absolute volumes for the Philippines and Aspac region.
The Philippines will lead the recovery in Southeast Asia, followed by Singapore, with a 21-percent increase in bookings in the second quarter; Cambodia (+13 percent); Malaysia (+11 percent); and Thailand (+8 percent).
The Philippines started reopening to international travelers, first to visa-free countries, on February 10, and then to the rest of the world, on April 1.
Data provided by the Department of Tourism shows 285,651 arrivals from February 10 to April 20, 2022. Of these, balikbayans (homecoming Filipinos) accounted for 40.64 percent, or 116,097, while foreign tourists reached 169,554, which was equivalent to 59.4 percent.
Americans led the pack of top 10 foreign tourist arrivals at 59,846; followed by Canadians at 13,486; Australians at 13,024; South Koreans at 12,565; British at 12,420; the Japanese at 6,419; Vietnamese at 6,351; Germans at 5,351; Singaporeans at 3,165; and French at 2,988.
Pricey cabins
For her part, WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said: “WTTC 2022 booking data from ForwardKeys is a firm signal of the strong recovery of the global travel and tourism sector.”
As per the latest ForwardKeys data, “Travel to the Asia-Pacific region shows impressive signs of improvement as destinations gradually reopen their borders to visitors, in line with customer demand.”
This supports the recent WTTC’s Economic Impact Report citing the recovery of the tourism sector in the Philippines and the rest of Asia-Pacific starting this year. (See, “If you want to go abroad, better get vaxxed–WTTC,” in the BusinessMirror, April 22, 2022.)
Meanwhile, Ponti noted that the first and second quarter figures for this year are showing triple-digit growth for inbound flight bookings around the world, compared to last year, including the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
“Travelers are eager to spend more on travel following the loosening of restrictions, with heightened demand for premium cabin classes in 2022. Other trends seen include stronger last-minute bookings,” he added.
Image credits: WTTC