WTTC: Reservations for Greece return to pre-pandemic levels

of Vicky Kourlibini

Greece is one of the destinations mentioned in the report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) with its international forecasts for this summer.

As noted for Europe, destinations such as Greece, Portugal, Spain and France are experiencing strong tourism recovery, with travel bookings approaching pre-pandemic levels.

The resumption of tourist bookings was the key topic at the 21st WTTC International Summit in Manila this year. The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts a significant increase in flight bookings, with international travel taking off.

The figures show that in the first and second quarters of this year there is a three-digit increase in bookings of incoming flights worldwide, compared to last year, including the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Travelers are also willing to spend more on travel this year after restrictions are eased, with increased demand for premium categories in 2022. Other trends include rising last minute bookings.

In terms of arrivals in Europe, there is a huge increase of 350% in international arrivals for the first quarter of 2022 compared to last year.

Asia-Pacific countries also saw an increase in arrivals for the first quarter of this year compared to 2021, with bookings for the region up 275%.

The second quarter saw a further acceleration of the ongoing recovery with a significant increase in international bookings, which have jumped by 264% compared to the previous year.

Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, said booking data is a solid signal of a strong recovery in the global travel industry.

According to ForwardKeys, which records data on air bookings, the destinations with the best performance in the world for this summer are Costa Rica, Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Reservations in these destinations have already exceeded the 2019 levels.