This year, summer travel demand across Europe has fully recovered after showing a total return to pre-pandemic travel levels.
According to travel intelligence firm ForwardKeys report, analysis of flight searches from January to April 2024 shows London, accounting for five per cent of the share of flight searches for travel to the EU, benefits from the most significant relative increase in the share of searches for travel in summer 2024, up 1.9 percentage points, VisaGuide.World reports.
Paris Olympic Games Increase Demand for Flights to Europe
The study also shows that growth is driven by the excitement of the Paris Olympics, with transport links readily available to the French capital. Paris shows similar popularity with a 0.5 percentage point increase. However, its share of searches is slightly lower as many visitors to the Games will have planned direct travel further in advance.
The destinations that gained popularity and growth are Istanbul with 0.4 p.p., Rome with 0.7 p.p., and Milan has increased by 0.7 p.p. While destinations in Spain, Greece and Portugal, including Athens, Lisbon, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca are losing ground after enjoying high demand in the post-Covid years.
As for the regions of the eastern part of the EU, Tirana continues to grow in popularity, building on the success of recent years, joining Yerevan and Tbilisi.
Ticket data for travel to EU city destinations in July and August 2024 shows a shift in consumer preferences towards nature, which has increased by 19 percent. At the same time, urban destinations saw an increase of 14 per cent, more than the increase in traditional sun and beach destinations, which increased by eight percent.
This is reflected at a sub-regional level as year-on-year growth in international arrivals in Central/Eastern Europe by 25 percent, Western Europe by 15 percent, and Northern Europe by 13 percent, outpacing Southern Europe, which has grown by 11 percent.
Overall, the picture is positive for destinations worldwide looking to attract lucrative European tourism over the coming years. With the disruption to demand and bookings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic now firmly in the past, the 2024 summer season looks likely to set a new benchmark for European travel both within the region and beyond.
Outbound travel from Europe also shows an upward trend, with year-on-year growth in intra-European travel (+14 percent) and long-haul trips to a range of Asian markets (+16 percent).
Asian Destinations Remain Preferred Choice of EU Outbound Travelers
For the period July-August 2024, ticket data shows that European travelers are increasingly choosing to go further afield to explore the landscapes and cultures of the following countries:
- Beijing (+132 percent)
- Osaka (+ 66 percent)
- Bangkok (+21 percent)
- Colombo (+21 percent)
- Kuala Lumpur (+14 percent)
American markets such as Chicago and Miami also recorded a further increase with 14 percent and nine percent, respectively.