Top Destinations Experiencing The Fastest Tourism Recovery

New statistics from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) indicated that the tourism industry would rebound in 2022. The WTTC expects that the total contribution of tourism to global GDP will reach $8.6 trillion and create about 330 million tourism-related jobs.

The research data from the WTTC indicates that if the restrictions on international travel are eased, and the Covid-19 booster and vaccine rollout continue throughout the year at the current pace, the tourism industry will post more significant gains, just 6.4 percent short of the pre-pandemic levels.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, the tourism industry has suffered the most, with a decline of 49.1 percent from $9.2 trillion in 2019 to $4.7 trillion in 2020. However, as people start to recover from the pandemic and governments ease covid-related travel restrictions, travel demand is expected to grow and recover 58 million jobs.

The latest available data shows that in January 2022, the global international tourist arrivals experienced a two-fold increase – the 18 million more visitors recorded in January equals the total rise in tourist arrivals for the entire year of 2021. Although the positive trend indicates that tourism has essentially reopened, the WTTC stated that it would take some time for travel and tourism to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Some destinations are rebounding more quickly than others. Asia and the Pacific registered a 44% increase, Africa 51%, Middle East 89%, while America and Europe posted the most substantial results with 97% and 199% respectively. Whether it’s an increase in web searches, demand for hotel stays, or a spike in visitors number, there are many dynamics that we can look at to determine destinations that are rebounding quickly from the pandemic.

The following is a list of fastest-rebounding destinations:

Hawaii

Hawaii has recorded an impressive rebound. The Hawaii Tourism Authority reports that local hotels have higher occupancy, average daily rates, and revenue in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter in 2021 and 2019.

This is the fourth consecutive quarter of improved performance. During the first three months of 2022, the average daily room rate in Hawaii hotels has risen over 3% in total dollar amount while total room revenues have increased by close to 1% in dollar amount.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas has continued to rebound from the pandemic, with Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) estimating that the number of visitors to the city will experience a 4.4% increase to 43.2 million people this year – the highest number of visitors since 2019.

In 2021, Las Vegas hosted 32 million visitors, indicating a substantial increase from 19 million visitors in 2020. The LVCVA stated that following the local government reduction of covid restrictions and increased travel demand, and the introduction of new hotels and amenities since the pandemic, Las Vegas has vastly improved from the Covid-19 crisis.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has seen a significant increase in international visitors, with the country recording its second-biggest month of tourism, with 566,000 visitors to the country in February.

The tourist flow levels in the Dominican Republic have surpassed the pre-pandemic levels, while the majority of destinations in the Caribbean and Central America have not. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the recovery progress from the Covid-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic is reflected in this growth.

Greece

Greece has recorded a significant increase in tourism, with the country experiencing its most substantial growth since the outbreak of Covid-19. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) recognized Greece for its safe and secure tourism infrastructure and engagement with the local population.

This year, the country to achieve pre-pandemic tourism levels.

South Africa

South Africa has experienced significant tourism recovery and growth by easing travel restrictions in 2022. New data by ForwardKeys research shows that the total number of flight searches to South Africa increased by 30 percent from January to February 2022. Additionally, flight searches from the United States to South Africa increased by 2 percent during the same period, indicating massive demand for the country.

Although South Africa has not entirely recovered from the Covid-19 crisis, it’s notably much better than other nations’ tourism recovery efforts.

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