Flight bookings soaring but inbound travel curbs costing UK £639m a day

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Air travel to some destinations from the UK has exceeded pre-pandemic levels – but the country’s economic revival is being hampered by the lack of inbound travel.

The study from the World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC ) shows bookings to amber category destinations are soaring with tickets reserved for international trips out of the UK increasing by an average of 24% in the week to July 13, compared to the previous week.

However, a lack of inbound travel is costing the UK a staggering £639 million a day, according to research from the global travel body.

New data collected by WTTC knowledge partner ForwardKeys, reveals the highest week-on-week percentage increases in tickets booked were to Germany, which were up by 113%; to Croatia up by 69%; Sweden by 68%; Portugal by 65% and Albania, up by 64%.

Weekly leisure return tickets confirm that Greece is the most popular destination, up 211% compared to 2019.

The Bahamas follows closely, with tickets up 161% on pre-pandemic levels. Croatia has also reached pre-pandemic weekly ticketing levels in the last week (107%) while tickets for travel to Spain, which reached 88% of 2019 levels, are fast increasing.

While this was good news for UK citizens, desperate to enjoy a much-need summer holiday break, the British economy which relies on international visitor spend will have been left in the doldrums by the lack of reciprocal inbound travel.

Based on 2019 levels, the lack of inbound international visitors through July, due to concern over rising coronavirus cases and the UK government’s strict quarantine rules, have robbed the UK economy of a staggering £639 million each day.

Virginia Messina, senior vice president WTTC, said: “The UK’s economic recovery is going to continue to be hampered by the lack of inbound international visitors while UK travellers are leaving the UK in increasing numbers.

“Whilst staycations are helping boost the economy, it is not nearly enough to replace the £639 million which is being lost every day.

“If the situation continues, the UK will lose out on much needed revenues which international travel provides, benefitting every level of the economy far beyond the Travel & Tourism sector.

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“If every day travel is curbed, more cash-strapped Travel & Tourism businesses face even greater strain pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Europe enjoys the financial benefits of British travellers returning to their markets.”

Juan Gómez Garcia, ForwardKeys senior insight expert, added: “It’s reassuring to see the UK issued tickets increase for summer travel, the question remains – will those figures manage to surpass pre-pandemic levels in those destinations?”

WTTC has recently revealed that international Travel & Tourism industry leaders have backed new guidelines to restore international travel safely to save the millions of jobs and livelihoods which depend upon the sector, while providing a boost for the global economic recovery.

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