France remains one of the main tourist destinations. On the other hand, the figures in terms of growth over the period 2019-2023 still remain negative. This is the result of research by travel information provider ForwardKeys.
Few countries are doing better (compared to 2019)
The results in terms of growth compared to 2019 remain mostly negative. An exception for Mexico which shows a small positive result.
Compared to the year 2022, the countries have all progressed. Japan explodes the counter. Italy and Spain have better results than France.
The United States would be the most visited destination
The United States was the most visited destination in terms of scheduled flight bookings, attracting 11% of all international visitors this summer, followed by Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, France, Mexico, Germany, Canada and Turkey. At the same time, the United States also accounted for 18% of outbound flight bookings.
Costa Rica would be the winning destination
The winners this summer were classic beach destinations that outperformed 2019 levels. The Top 10 includes Costa Rica, up 19% from 2019 and 15% from 2022, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Greece, Tanzania, Bahamas and Mexico.
ForwardKeys’ comment
Olivier Ponti, Vice President of Insights at ForwardKeys, commented on the findings, highlighting the important role American travelers play in supporting many destinations during the pandemic. He expressed optimism for the coming quarters, noting that global flight bookings for the final quarter of the year are only 4% behind 2019, with the first quarter of 2024 already ahead by 3%.
China begins to recover
“Looking ahead to the fourth quarter and 2024, I am increasingly optimistic… Right now, global flight bookings for the final three months of the year are only 4% behind to 2019 and for the first three months of 2024, ahead of 3%,” declared Olivier Ponti. He said major tourism powerhouse China was beginning to recover while the Middle East was the world’s most promising region in the fourth quarter.
