Editor’s note: register to unlock the worldCNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get news on destination openings, inspiration for your future adventures, and the latest information on aviation, food and drink, places to stay, and other travel developments.
CNN
—
Asia Pacific is home to some of the world’s most beloved travel destinations, from the natural beauty of Bali to the urban hustle and bustle of Singapore. These dreamy vacation hotspots, combined with the region’s business prowess, have helped Asia-Pacific secure the title of the world’s largest travel region over the past decade.
However, in destinations such as China and Japan Air travel in Asia-Pacific remains low compared to pre-pandemic levels in the region, due to the relatively slow lifting of coronavirus entry restrictions.
and, New report from Center for International Travel Industry Analysts Aviation (CAPA) predicts that by the end of 2022, Asia-Pacific will no longer be the world’s largest travel region, losing its place to Europe.
Air traffic in the Asia-Pacific region once accounted for more than a third of global passenger traffic, but air traffic in the region remains down 45% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to CAPA. It is.
Meanwhile, CAPA suggests that European air travel has recovered to around 85% of pre-pandemic levels, even taking into account the continuing impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In 2019, 3.38 billion passengers traveled through Asia Pacific airports. In contrast, current forecasts from ACI Asia-Pacific, the industry association representing airports in the region, are for 1.84 billion passengers to visit Asia-Pacific’s travel hubs by the end of 2022, CAPA reports. It is expected to pass.
The main factors behind this slow recovery, at least according to ACI Asia Pacific and CAPA, are China’s “zero-corona” border policy and Japan’s slow easing of travel restrictions. Japan is It will officially reopen to tourists on October 11th.
“What happens there has huge implications for the rest of the region,” CAPA said in China and Japan, noting that they are the region’s two largest travel markets.
CAPA reports that travel to most destinations in the Asia-Pacific region remains below 2019 levels, with a few exceptions such as India, which is only 11% below 2019 numbers. It’s down more than 50%.
CAPA notes that domestic travel in the Asia-Pacific region is recovering faster than international travel. For example, travel within China was only down 5.4% compared to 2019 levels.
Overall, CAPA predicts that travel numbers in the Asia-Pacific region will not fully recover to pre-pandemic levels until late 2023 or early 2024.
“Nevertheless, recovery will depend on countries opening their borders and lifting lingering travel restrictions, as well as the broader economic and epidemiological situation,” the report said.
CAPA advocates for “harmonization of international travel rules” and “political commitment towards openness and freedom of movement”, as well as continued vaccinations, to support travel recovery.
