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Time to highlight architectural tourism

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TTR WEEKLY
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KOTA KINABALU, 28 September 2022: Sabah needs to consider developing architectural tourism to create new product offerings that will boost the state’s vibrancy and tourism in general.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment cum Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said Sabah’s cultural elements are diverse and should play a part in architecture design.

Joniston listening to a briefing by Terengganu State Museum deputy director Fauzi Muda (2nd left) on the museum history and its architectural design. Also pictured are State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Sr. Mohd Yusrie Abdullah (left) and STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman (2nd right).

“We have rich elements with over 40 ethnic groups. We should highlight and feature these elements in our exterior and interior architecture to further complement Sabah as an eco-cultural tourism destination,” he said after visiting Terengganu early this week.

Last week Joniston led a group of STB board of directors and management staff to Kuala Terengganu for a four-day familiarisation trip to get product updates.

During the trip, the group visited the Terengganu State Museum, which its structures were designed to evoke the style of local traditional homes.

Joniston said Sabah should take inspiration from Terengganu, which has a strong presence in architectural tourism.

He also opined that it is time for the Sabah Tourism Board to oversee tourism development in the state rather than just promotion.

The Sabah Tourism Board’s visit to Terengganu is a reciprocal of the Terengganu Tourism Department’s February visit to Sabah earlier this year.

Joniston remarked that the Terengganu trip allowed STB to see how other states are thriving in the tourism business and provide them with ideas on how to accomplish the same.

In addition, the board of directors also held a meeting in Kuala Terengganu to discuss how to promote Sabah and increase the arrival of tourists.

Meanwhile, Terengganu praised STB for its creative approach to fostering the state’s local community and tourism development.

This was expressed by Terengganu Tourism Department director Fadli Yusof Zakaria to the Board delegation during a dinner hosted by them.

“It’s always great to get ideas from Sabah on effectively marketing products. STB is very creative in promoting tourism, particularly in its efforts to involve and uplift the rural community through this industry.

“I hope that Terengganu and Sabah would work together to exchange ideas and to contribute to the overall promotion of tourism throughout the nation,” he said,

He also reiterated that Terengganu was inspired to implement its community-based tourism (CoBT) after seeing how successfully Sabah’s rural CoBT concept had developed during their visit to Sabah, during which they explored Kiulu.

Apart from the Terengganu State Museum, the STB team also visited Pulau Redang, Islamic Civilisation Park, Terengganu Cultural Village, Pasar Payang, Chinatown, and Noor Arfa Batik.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Sr. Mohd Yusrie Abdullah and STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman were present.

For more information, visit www.sabahtourism.com.

(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)

BA and Qatar complete partnership process

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 28 September 2022: Qatar Airways and British Airways have completed the expansion of their partnership, promising global connectivity between more countries than any other airline joint business.

The airlines have added 42 new countries to their shared network, including Italy, the Maldives, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden, giving passengers enhanced access between destinations in Europe and the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

The expansion will enable seamless connecting journeys on single tickets through the Doha and London hubs, bringing the destinations served by the two airlines to 185 across more than 60 countries.

Additionally, customers will have more freedom to engage with both airlines’ loyalty programmes, earning and spending Avios, their common currency. Customers can seamlessly link their Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and British Airways Executive Club account to transfer Avios between the two and combine balances.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “The growing collaboration between Qatar Airways and British Airways shows our customers our common goal to offer an unparalleled network with unique benefits. Travellers can now experience the best in quality and service as they travel across our joint network. The joint business between our airlines cements Qatar Airways and British Airways as industry leaders, aiming to provide our customers with the utmost flexibility and unrivalled connectivity.”

British Airways chairman and chief executive officer Sean Doyle said: “This is a huge milestone in our long-standing relationship with Qatar Airways, an airline that shares our passion for customer service, choice and flexibility.

“From idyllic holiday hotspots such as the Maldives and Thailand to business hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong, we are pleased to open up the world as the travel industry continues to make steps towards its recovery.”

JLL: Asia Pacific hotel investment recovers

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 28 September 2022: Hotel investment in the Asia Pacific will continue to recover in the fourth quarter of 2022 and into 2023, with more investors looking to deploy the highest capital levels since the pandemic started.

According to JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group’s latest Global Hotel Investor Sentiment Survey, approximately 80% of investors plan to be net buyers in 2022.

JLL shows that hotel investors expressed a renewed appetite to increase exposure to the sector as fundamentals recover. Approximately 20% of investors indicated they would deploy between USD501 million and USD1 billion worth of capital in the hospitality sector, up from 7% in 2021 to 16% in 2020.

According to the JLL survey, the recovery of Asia Pacific’s hotel sector has accelerated in the past few months as travel restrictions ease, translating into an uptick of renewed investor interest in the space despite some broader economic headwinds.

“Our projection of USD10.7 billion in total hotel investment in the Asia Pacific for 2022 remains unchanged, backed by improving sentiment on the long-term fundamentals of the industry in this region in the coming years,” says JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group senior managing director, head of investment sales, Asia Pacific Nihat Ercan.

According to survey respondents, London, Tokyo and Boston emerged as the top three markets for hotel investment, pointing to the resurgence of investor interest in urban markets. While interest in Tokyo comes as it is recovering at a slower pace than other markets due to gradual border control restrictions, the primary catalyst behind Tokyo’s recovery is high levels of domestic demand. Room nights sold as of July 2022 grew 66% relative to the same period in 2021, with the upscale hotel segment accounting for the highest growth. Muted supply growth over the next two years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.9%, will further Tokyo’s performance recovery. Moreover, the depreciation of the Japanese Yen versus the US Dollar by nearly 20% and Japan’s low-interest rate environment will continue to boost foreign investment demand in the near-to-medium term.

Over the next six months, 57% of investors anticipate the best investment opportunities to emerge across traditional hospitality property types, including full-service and select-service hotels. Furthermore, 82% of investors indicated that they are targeting value-add investment opportunities, and 34% of investors are interested in vacant possession or unencumbered hotels.

Although the pace of recovery will vary by region, hotel fundamentals are expected to continue recovering, albeit at a more protracted rate, given global economic headwinds. Significant pent-up demand for travel and experiences coupled with increasing corporate and group demand will help further drive the recovery. Investor interest in the sector is expected to remain strong, with transaction activity picking up in the medium term.

JLL’s Hotel Investor Sentiment Survey is the only truly global survey of its kind and has been referenced by the global hotel investment community since its inception in 2000.

JLL’s most recent survey responses were collected from July to August 2022. This survey represents a compilation of 7,800+ data points from hotel investors on future hotel operating performance expectations, yield requirements and future cap rate trends.

Asian airlines figure high in Skytrax awards

By
Don Ross
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BANGKOK, 28 September 2022: As the world’s tourism leaders celebrate World Tourism Day on Tuesday, countries are shedding the last remaining Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Public health ministries are phasing out the daily tally of Covid-19 cases starting 1 October, a clear signal that travel enterprises can now embark on the long and challenging journey to recovery. 

Photo Credit: Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways wins the “Airline of the Year” Award by Skytrax for the seventh time.

Tourists visiting popular destinations in Southeast Asia will have fewer flight options to their favourite resorts, and fares are considerably higher than what was on offer in 2019. They will also encounter closed restaurants and bars, or at best, open for just a few hours in the evening as owners attempt to rehire staff. Hotels face the same challenges. They are reopening, but they face tough, uncertain times made worse by an energy crisis and the war in Ukraine that threatens travel bookings from Europe to popular destinations across Southeast Asia.

Despite the uncertainties, Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022 cast a ray of sunshine by naming its top airlines worldwide after an absence in 2020 and irrelevant citations in 2021 precipitated by Covid-19 lockdowns and disruptions.

Qatar Airways takes the top spot in the 2022 Airline of the Year Awards, followed by Singapore Airlines in second place and Emirates in the third slot.

Qatar maintained its slot at the top of the chart based on consistently delivering a route network of 30 or more destinations during the voting period from late 2021 to August 2022. Today the airline flies to more than 150 destinations.

Commenting on the latest achievement, Skytrax chief executive officer Edward Plaisted said: “Qatar Airways was the largest airline to have flown consistently throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with their network never falling below 30 destinations.”

The airline also took home three additional awards; World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining, and Best Airline in the Middle East. It was named Airline of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Six of the top 10 listed airlines were based in Asia, including the Middle East. Europe was represented by three airlines Turkish Airways (7), Air France (8) and Swiss International Air Lines (10) and Qantas Australia (5).

Absent from the top 10 for the first time in years, Cathay Pacific dropped to 16th place, reflecting the grounding of services for long periods during the voting window in 2021 and 2022.

According to Skytrax, the 2022 World Airline Awards are based on an online consumer voting registered from September 2021 to August 2022 in various languages; English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese.

Skytrax’s top 10 airlines 2022:

  1. Qatar Airways
  2. Singapore Airlines
  3. Emirates
  4. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
  5. Qantas Airways
  6. Japan Airlines
  7. Turkish Airlines
  8. Air France
  9. Korean Air
  10. Swiss International Air Lines

Best spot to be a digital nomad

By
Don Ross
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CHIANG RAI, 27 September 2022: I hope to catch my first sighting of a Digital Nomad here in my hometown of Chiang Rai, which traditionally relies on seasonal budget travellers from Europe to keep the travel business ticking.

The quest is complicated by the different descriptions of a traveller who stays more than 30 days in a single destination. They used to be lumped together as long-stay visits, but that loose definition needs refining. Are they workaholics who prefer to describe their miserable lives as a workation in progress, or should we go for the buzz phrase “digital nomads”?

Photo Credit: Expat Life — William Russell

A Google search suggests Digital nomads are people “who are location-independent and use technology to perform their job, living a nomadic lifestyle. Digital nomads work remotely, telecommuting rather than being physically present at a company’s headquarters or office.”

A study released last week by the UK insurance specialists William Russell attempts to identify the world’s top 10 destinations for a workation described in the study’s preamble as  a place where you”do the same job, but with more sand and better coffee.”

It claims the global searches for ‘working holiday’ have soared by 82.66% since April 2021 to July 2022.

Surprise, William Russell’s top 10 destinations worldwide for a workation that could “extend several weeks or months” is none other than Pha Ngan Island, a close neighbour of Samui Island in South Thailand.

It’s definitely a surprise because Thailand’s swathe of visa options miss the category “Digital Nomad”, and if a traveller works in the country, technically, they will need a work permit. That drawback needs sorting out if Thailand’s tourism planers are to welcome digital nomads with open arms.

The only other Asian destination in the top 10 list is Canggu in Bali, Indonesia. It’s in the seventh slot with monthly rentals of USD1,411. Pha Ngan Island’s monthly rentals are lower at an average of USD1,051, and claims an internet speed of 24 Mbps which is bettered by most of the destinations listed in the top 10.

The team at William Russell sets out its stall with workation tips.

“Schedule it in advance and do your research properly to know what to expect. What are the risks? And how can you avoid or minimise them? Calculate your budget: living in another city or country can be unpredictable and expensive. Be prepared to save money for housing, coworking (if needed), food, insurance, and other options.

“Be aware of culture shock and cultural sensitivities to avoid finding yourself in tricky situations.

“Schedule your free time to explore the new country and stay productive.

“Have a safety net in case things go wrong – international health insurance will enable you to access private treatment if you’re injured or become ill.”

William Russell’s marketing director, William Cooper says: “Combining work and vacation time is a clever way to extend your stay in a destination that benefits both you and the local people. More places are setting up coworking spots, beefing up wifi, and changing legislation to attract remote workers.

“The workation trend emerged in 2012. Then large corporations introduced this option as one of the bonuses for their employees. However, the format of a workation was a little different: several teams travelled together out of town or to another country for a week to work, relax and unite.”

He claims the global searches for ‘working holiday’ have soared by 82.66% from April 2021 to July 2022.

Top 10 best workation destinations

RankCity, CountryMonthly rental cost (USD)Internet speedFunSafety
1Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand$1,051Fast: 24MbpsGreatGreat
2Gran Canaria, Spain$1,789Fast: 35MbpsGoodGreat
3Lisbon, Portugal$2,429Fast: 28MbpsGreatGreat
4Austin, TX, USA$3,797Super Fast: 76MbpsGreatGood
5São Paulo, Brazil$1,495Good: 6MbpsGreatOkay
6Budapest, Hungary$1,637Fast: 30MbpsGoodGood
7Canggu, Bali, Indonesia$1,411Fast: 25MbpsGoodGreat
8Belgrade, Serbia$1,555Fast: 27MbpsGoodGood
9Berlin, Germany$3,465Fast: 27MbpsGoodGreat
10Buenos Aires, Argentina$904Good: 6MbpsGoodOkay

Source: William Russell insurance specialists UK

For more information on the study visit https://www.william-russell.com/blog/best-workation-destinations-work-from/

But if you decide to head for Thailand claiming you are a digital nomad, be aware that Thailand does not currently have a digital nomad visa. It also has strict work permit rules.

For more details visit https://visaguide.world/digital-nomad-visa/thailand/

The website warns: “A quick online search will show many results for foreigners who have worked remotely or as freelancers while living in Thailand. However, working remotely as a foreigner in Thailand contravenes the labour law.”

(Source: William Russell Insurance specialist UK)

MTF tackles rebuilding task

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TTR WEEKLY
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QUANG NAM, Vietnam, 27 September 2022: Ministers and national tourism organisations from all the six member countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, including Myanmar, will address the Mekong Tourism Forum’s overarching theme “Rebuild Tourism, Rebound with Resilience.

Twenty-five speakers from six Greater Mekong Subregion countries (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) have been confirmed for the Mekong Tourism Forum scheduled for 12 to 13 October in Quang Nam, central Vietnam.

Mekong Tourism Forum 2022: Rebuild Tourism, Rebound with Resilience Quang Nam, Vietnam, 12 – 13 October 2022.

Panellists will recommend three focus areas: Social Enterprises, New Ways of Connecting Sustainable Tourism Suppliers and Buyers, and Technology.

Leading private sector panellists addressing those issues include Daniel Gelfer of Agoda, Willem Niemeijer of YAANA Ventures, Tean Ly of Seeva Capital, Jason Lusk of Clickable Impact, Mika Cui of JNE Group, Duangmala Phommavong of EXO Travel Lao, Mayur (Mac) Patel of OAG, Thuy Phuong Nguyen of Plan International/Travelife, and others.

There will also be contributions from leaders and senior executives of the Asian Development Bank, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and the ASEAN Tourism Association.

The government sector contributions will be led by Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam.

The official media statement confirmed senior representatives from ministries and national tourism offices from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand will lead the forum’s overarching theme of “Rebuild Tourism, Rebound with Resilience.”

As Quang Nam province is the host destination, on 13 October, delegates will have the opportunity to join any of three local themed tours: Culture – a visit to two World Heritage sites: My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An ancient town; Nature – Cu Lao Cham Biosphere Reserve and Tra Que vegetable village; Green & Agritourism – the story of organic agriculture and the circular economy, using Tra Que vegetable village as an example.

The Mekong Tourism Forum will also host a Sustainable Tourism Exhibit comprising 18 tables showcasing sustainable tourism, community-based tourism and local community products. The exhibit will run from 10 to 12 October.

The Mekong Tourism Forum will take place in Hoiana Resort & Golf (Hoiana), on a beach setting just south of Hoi An, the UNESCO-listed heritage city. Danang international airport is 40 minutes from the conference venue.

The Mekong Tourism Forum is free to attend for genuine Greater Mekong Sub-region travel and tourism stakeholders.

Further information and registration: MekongTourismForum.org.

Quang Nam and green tourism are the focus of Visit Vietnam Year 2022.

PG picks up Skytrax awards

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TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 27 September 2022: Bangkok Airways wins a record 6th consecutive – World’s Best Regional Airline and Best Regional Airline in Asia at the recent World Airline Awards 2022, but is it resting on its laurels?

Looking at the airline’s current international route network, its footprint suggests the awards could have been renamed ‘best in Southeast Asia’. The airline’s cover falls far short of Asia-wide aviation hubs. It flies to just six countries in the entire Asian region. In the post-Post Covid-19 era, it will need to quickly reinstate its network beyond neighbouring countries before the next round of votes takes place to determine the 2023 winners.

PG’s regional network as of 27 August 2022.

Giving the airline credit for its resilience over the last two years and quality of passenger services, it deserves six years of consecutive awards in the two categories – World’s Best Regional Airline and The Best Regional Airline in Asia. But from now on, it faces a real challenge to reinstate a network that supports those lofty accolades.

The awards were presented to the airline’s president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth during the Skytrax annual awards in London.

Photo credit: Bangkok Airways. The president and his team celebrate.

Commenting on the awards, he said: “On behalf of the management and staff at Bangkok Airways, I am deeply honoured to receive these prestigious awards that show that Bangkok Airways has been striving to improve services both onboard and on the ground, providing a unique passenger journey across all touchpoints while ensuring the highest safety and hygiene standards.”

Priority Pass celebrates 30 today

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TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 27 September 2022: Asia is finally playing catch-up. After almost three years of tightly kept pandemic controls, some of Asia’s strictest economies are opening.

Last Friday, Hong Kong announced it would abandon mandatory hotel quarantine for people coming to the city starting Monday, following a similar move by Taiwan. Japan confirmed it would drop its daily limit on arrivals and fully open its doors to tourists on 11 October.

Today, Priority Pass, a leading airport experiences programme owned and operated by Collinson, is celebrating its 30th birthday. Priority Pass had come a long way since 1992 when it first launched with just 49 lounges globally and a handful of employees. Today it boasts 1,300 airport lounges and experiences worldwide across 650+ airports in 148 countries.

As the world emerges from a global shutdown and a busy summer, proving that travel is firmly back on the agenda, Collinson wants to reward Priority Pass Members and reignite their love for travel again in 2022 and beyond.

Designed exclusively for its 30th birthday, the company is launching a Limited-Edition Priority Pass 30th Birthday Membership Card, which comes loaded with Priority Pass lounge access for 30 round trips (60 visits) for five years.

Priority Pass will give away only 30 of these limited-edition membership cards* worldwide to various travellers.

The first group is a selection of Priority Pass’s loyal and longstanding members, invited to be part of the celebrations to say thanks for their membership and ongoing love of travel.

A second group can win a limited-edition membership card by entering the Priority Pass #LiveLoveLounge Instagram competition. Travellers can show how much they appreciate the airport lounge and their return to travel by sharing a photo or video of what they love most in the lounge alongside the hashtag #LiveLoveLounge. Participants are asked to get as creative as possible with their entries, and Priority Pass will select the winners over the next two months.

The third set of winners comprises ‘Travel Heroes’ from around the world recognised for outstanding contributions to the world of travel, either assisting travellers or the industry during the pandemic or perhaps playing a critical role in helping it to return to the future safely.

In addition to revealing the exclusive card, Priority Pass is also launching a Spotify playlist, asking members to add their favourite songs, especially those that make them think of travelling or joyful celebrations. People can make their suggestions for the playlist on Priority Pass’s Instagram and are encouraged to follow the page for more details – and to find out which tunes have made the cut.

 “Turning 30 is a landmark for us and something we’re proud of. We’ve spent the past 30 years helping to transform airport experiences and working to become one of the most loved, trusted travel companions. We know we’re nothing without our members, so it’s them that we wanted our birthday celebration to be all about,” said Collinson joint CEO David Evans.

Sarawak features in LVG learning modules

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

KUCHING, 27 September 2022: E-learning was the focus of a recent MOU signed by Seda Caylak, CEO of LVG Learning and Dr Scott Michael Smith from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, MSME Business School, Assumption University, Thailand with a destination course featuring Sarawak in Malaysia.

Assumption University partnered with London-based LVG Learning to provide tourism students access to destination courses, business skill courses, soft skill courses and webinars from the leaders in the tourism industry as part of a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at addressing, through e-learning, the practical knowledge and skill gaps existing in the tourism industry today.

This partnership began with an introduction from Andrew J Wood, President, SKAL International Asian Area. Skål International is a professional organisation of tourism leaders worldwide, promoting global tourism and friendship.

Wood saw an opportunity for tourism students to use the LVG Learning platform to increase their knowledge and skill set.

“Modern learners, especially millennial and generation Z learners, tend to prefer learning customised to their needs, informal in style, and available on demand. E-learning affords tourism students and young professionals the freedom to fit education into their busy lives.”

The MOU will provide online courses to Assumption University undergraduate students and faculty related to hospitality and tourism studies.

It will also establish collaborative efforts with destination management organisations (DMO) and national tourism organisations (NTO) on projects to support students’ practical knowledge of destinations, destination marketing and destination management.

Expected outcomes

Students will meet companies and leaders in the tourism industry to explore various career options and gain practical on-the-job experience and potential job opportunities for their careers.

It will supply digital destination content with the sponsorship of regional promotion offices and support students in transforming destination marketing into digital tourism management.

It will support AU students through educational journeys to digital change in tourism.

Dr Smith found his students appreciated the learning experience this semester as the campus cautiously returned to on-site classes. He noted: “Students completed destination learning courses and business/soft skills courses outside class time, at their convenience and on their preferred devices.

Sarawak features as one of the destination learning journey courses, alongside Budapest, Dubrovnik and Florence. Senior product professionals develop the Destination Learning Journeys in cooperation with national tourism organisations (NTO), destination management organisations (DMO) and convention and visitor bureaus (CVB) using the latest ed-tech instructional design strategies.

Tourism recoups 60% of pre-pandemic levels

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TTR WEEKLY
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SINGAPORE, 27 September 2022: International tourism continued to show strong signs of recovery, with arrivals reaching 57% of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2022, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

International tourist arrivals almost tripled in January to July 2022 (+172%) compared to the same period of 2021. That means the sector recovered almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels. The steady recovery reflects strong demand for international travel and the easing or lifting of travel restrictions to date (86 countries had no Covid-19 related restrictions as of 19 September 2022).

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism continues to recover steadily, yet several challenges remain, from geopolitical to economic. The sector is bringing back hope and opportunity for people everywhere. Now is also the time to rethink tourism, where it is going and how it impacts people and the planet.”

Time to rethink tourism

An estimated 474 million tourists travelled internationally, compared to the 175 million in the same months of 2021. An estimated 207 million international arrivals were recorded in June and July 2022 combined, over twice the numbers seen in the same two months last year. These months represent 44% of the total arrivals recorded in the first seven months of 2022. Europe welcomed 309 million of these arrivals, accounting for 65% of the total.

Leaders: Europe and the Middle East

Europe and the Middle East showed the fastest recovery in January-July 2022, with arrivals reaching 74% and 76% of 2019, respectively. Europe welcomed almost three times as many international arrivals as in the first seven months of 2021 (+190%), with results boosted by strong intra-regional demand and travel from the United States. The region saw robust performance in June (-21% over 2019) and July (-16%), reflecting a busy summer.

Arrivals climbed to about 85% of 2019 levels in July. The lifting of travel restrictions in many destinations also fuelled these results (44 countries in Europe had no Covid-19 related restrictions as of 19 September 2022).

The Middle East saw international arrivals grow almost four times year-on-year in January-July 2022 (+287%). Arrivals exceeded pre-pandemic levels in July (+3%), boosted by the extraordinary results posted by Saudi Arabia (+121%) following the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Americas (+103%) and Africa (+171%) also recorded strong growth in January-July 2022 compared to 2021, reaching 65% and 60% of 2019 levels, respectively.

Asia and the Pacific (+165%) saw arrivals more than double in the first seven months of 2022. They remained 86% below 2019 levels, as some borders remained closed to non-essential travel.

Subregions and destinations

Several subregions reached 70% to 85% of their pre-pandemic arrivals in January-July 2022. Southern Mediterranean Europe (-15% over 2019), the Caribbean (-18%) and Central America (-20%) showed the fastest recovery towards 2019 levels. Western Europe (-26%) and Northern Europe (-27%) also posted strong results. In July, arrivals came close to pre-pandemic levels in the Caribbean (-5%), Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-6%) and Central America (-8%).

Tourism Experts Cautiously Confident

On a scale of 0 to 200, the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts rated the period May-August 2022 with a score of 125, matching the bullish expectations expressed by the Panel in the May survey for the same 4-month period (124).

Prospects for the remainder of the year are cautiously optimistic. Although above-average performance is expected, tourism experts rated the period September-December 2022 with a score of 111, below the 125 scores of the previous four months, showing a downgrade in confidence levels. Almost half of the experts (47%) see positive prospects for the period September-December 2022, while 24% expect no particular change, and 28% consider it could be worse. Experts also seem confident about 2023, as 65% see better tourism performance than in 2022.

The uncertain economic environment seems to have reversed prospects for a return to pre-pandemic levels in the near term. Some 61% of experts now see a potential return of international arrivals to 2019 levels in 2024 or later, while those indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 have diminished (27%) compared to the May survey (48%).

According to experts, the economic environment continues to be the main factor weighing the recovery of international tourism. Rising inflation and the spike in oil prices result in higher transport and accommodation costs while putting consumer purchasing power and savings under pressure.

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