What: Airlift Data Shows Moderate Recovery for Europe This Summer
Recent data from ForwardKeys, a travel research firm, shows modest recovery for Europe this July and August, with international flights reaching 39.9% of pre-pandemic levels — an improvement compared to last summer (26.6%). Greece was the No. 1 destination (86%), followed by Cyprus (64.5%), Turkey (62.0%), Iceland (61.8%) and Croatia (60.3%). The most popular European cities were Palma Mallorca, Spain (71.5%); Athens, Greece (70.2%); Istanbul (56.5%); Lisbon, Portugal (43.5%); and Madrid (42.4%).
Why It Matters: Greece and Iceland Fared Well, While Long-Haul Destinations Suffered
According to the research firm, much of Greece and Iceland’s success had to do with the fact that they were among the best at publicizing the acceptance of visitors who were either fully vaccinated; could show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test; or prove that they had recently recovered from the virus.
Also, destinations that rely on long-haul tourism, such as France (36.6%), Italy (36%) and the U.K. (14.3%), fared poorly, with intra-European flights making up 71.4% of arrivals (compared with 57.1% in 2019). Bolstering international air travel numbers is key for many European countries.
What They Are Saying: The Aviation Industry Is Affected by Low International Air Travel
“When one considers how dreadful things were for tourism in Europe last year, this summer has been a very modest recovery story,” said Olivier Ponti, vice president of Insights at ForwardKeys. “Benchmarked against normal times, the continued low intensity of international air travel — less than 40% of normal — has been extremely damaging for the aviation industry.”
While domestic aviation has a minority share of the market in Europe in normal times, it has held up much better during the pandemic because it has not been subject to such challenging travel restrictions.
The continued absence of long-haul travelers, particularly from the Far East — it reached just 2.5% of pre-pandemic volumes this summer — will prove a severe blow to the visitor economy of several European countries,” Ponti added.
“If there is an element of consolation, it is people ‘staycationing,’ (i.e. taking a holiday in their own country). While domestic aviation has a minority share of the market in Europe in normal times, it has held up much better during the pandemic because it has not been subject to such challenging travel restrictions. For example, the Canaries and the Balearics welcomed more Spanish visitors than they do in a normal season.”
The Details
ForwardKeys
