BERLIN, 20 November 2019 – International tourism continues to grow in 2019, though not quite as strongly as in previous years, according to the first trend analyses of IPK’s World Travel Monitor.
During the first eight months of this year outbound trips increased worldwide by 3.9%, a percentage point below 2018.
This year, Asia again records the highest growth in international travel, while Latin America saw a decline.
Overall, indicate outbound travel will continue to grow in 2020 the World Travel Monitor forecasts based on the results of representative interviews with more than 500,000 people in over 60 countries worldwide.
The annual study has been compiled for more than 20 years and is recognized as the most widescale continuous survey of global travel trends.
Asia leads the outbound trip growth
At 6%, Asia reported the world’s highest growth during the first eight months of this year, as it did in 2018.
China, by far the continent’s largest source market, contributed to this upward trend with above-average growth of 9%. During the first eight months, foreign trips by North Americans rose slightly above average, at 4.5%. Foreign travel by Europeans increased too, although at 2.5% they ranked well behind Asian and North Americans – and below last year’s figure.
In contrast, during the first eight months, foreign trips by Latin Americans reflected a negative trend with a year-on-year decline of three per cent.
Asia an inbound favourite
Interest in Asia as a travel destination likewise shows an upward trend. With a 6% increase in visitors during the first eight months, it recorded higher growth than any other region in the world. Trips to Europe are popular too, with a global visitor growth by 3.5%, whereas trips to America only rose by two per cent.
Holiday trips on the rise
During the first eight months of 2019, holiday trips increased globally by 4%, while business travel stagnated. However, this reflects two divergent trends.
“On the one hand we have the still-expanding MICE travel market, which during the first eight months grew by two per cent, and in contrast the traditional business travel, which shrank by four per cent over the same period“, said PK International CEORolf Freitag.
City breaks and cruises boom
After moderate increases last year, city breaks came back with strong growth with 8% during the first eight months of 2019. With a global market share of close to 30% now, city breaks rank only slightly behind sun and beach holidays, which recorded a two per cent rise during the first eight months.
As well as round trips, which increased by 3%, the cruise market expanded too. Compared with last year its growth by 6% and therefore above average.
Safety image
Asked about the terror threat of individual destinations, the majority of global outbound travellers still rank destinations like Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia as particularly unsafe.
The possibility of terror in these countries is seen as very high. With regard to safety, the USA, Mexico, South Africa and France also have a poor image.
In contrast, travel destinations such as Scandinavia, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Portugal as well as Australia and Canada are perceived as safe, where the terror threat is seen as low, according to the latest findings from September of this year.
Positive outlook for 2020
Despite political and economic instability around the world, the data on travel intentions collected by IPK International points to a positive outlook for next year.
For the global outbound travel market in 2020, IPK forecasts a plus of 4%. Outbound trips by Asians are expected to record the highest growth with 5%. For the European outbound trips, a growth rate of 3 to 4% will be expected, and for Americans 3%.
These forecasts are based on the findings of the “World Travel Confidence Index” of IPK International, which as part of World Travel Monitor® polls people’s travel intentions for the next 12 months.
Further conclusive results showing 2019 travel trends will be published in the future, and IPK International’s CEO will present the final findings of the World Travel Monitor for 2019 at the ITB Future Day of the ITB Berlin Convention that runs from 4 to 7 March 2020.
(Source: ITB Berlin)
