Int’l travel at its peak from pre-COVID levels despite price surge: Survey

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A World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) survey shows that "appetite for international travel is now at its highest point since the start of the pandemic”.

The survey was released on November 27, 2022, a day before the commencement of 22nd WTTC Global Summit in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The summit ends on December 1.

“The momentum in international travel shows no signs of slowing in CY23, with one-third of consumers planning over three trips,” the survey said.

The survey, with a sample size of 26,000 travellers from 25 countries, was conducted by YouGov for WTTC. It said 63 percent participants are planning a leisure trip in the coming 12 months.

Indians excited to travel again

Additionally, 78 percent out of 1,900 Indian travellers surveyed by KAYAK, a US-based online travel agency, are excited to go back travelling in 2023.

According to KAYAK, searches for international flights in India have increased by over 168 percent, and domestic flight searches have increased by 257 percent.

The appetite for travel among Indians stayed despite a 23 percent spike in international flight costs and 66 percent surge in domestic flight costs, the report said.

Rise in Thai e-visa arrival applications

Also, VFS Global, the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, observed a steady increase in demand for Thai e-visa on arrival applications from India.

Between March 2022 (when the Indian government restarted scheduled international flights) and October 2022, applications have increased by 7 times.

Data shows flight searches from airports in India, between April and November 2022, have increased by about 204 percent, compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

There has been a rise in searches for international hotels by Indian travellers of over 82 percent from pre-COVID days.

As per the YouGov' global tracker', the appeal and traction in Saudi Arabia as a destination is constantly growing, with the highest scores across countries in the Gulf region, along with Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Thailand, the WTTC report added.

Australian travellers biggest spenders

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said, "This global survey shows that international travel is back. As we kick off our Global Summit in Riyadh, bringing together global travel leaders and governments from around the world, travellers are getting ready to explore the world again.

"The results of this global survey also show the growing importance of sustainable travel among consumers."

The WTTC survey added that travellers from Australia would be the world's biggest spenders.