Today, December 21—the official start of the winter solstice— saw the release of the 2022/2023 Winter Report by the National Observatory of Outbound Tourism (ObservaTUR), the tenth study since the creation in 2018 of this monitoring and analysis tool, featuring leading companies in the tourism and travel industry, such as Amadeus, AON, Beroni, Carrefour Viajes, IAG7/Airmet, Iberia, ILUNION Hotels, MundiPlan, ReiniziaT, and the National Union of Travel Agencies (UNAV).
The key finding of the report is that, according to professionals and experts, the recovery of the tourism and travel industry is on track and will gain momentum in 2023.
Here are the highlights:
- Industry professionals and experts are forecasting a moderately optimistic new year for the industry, though they do not hide their concern over the negative economic signals coming from the markets.
- The resulting caution would lead Spaniards to travel for shorter periods, for example, or to cut back on spending.
- The main driver of the economic recovery will be the deep-rooted culture of travel, which takes precedence over other forms of leisure and even the accumulation of material possessions.
- Barring any unforeseen setbacks, the tourism sector could once again serve as the “driving force” behind the economy as a whole, just as it has in previous crises.
- There are also signs that travelers’ habits and behaviors are returning to normal: demands for flexibility are decreasing, delays in making reservations are no longer as common, and the importance of health and safety measures is declining significantly
- While domestic travel will continue to be popular in 2023, there will be a significant uptick in international travel
With regard to travel agencies, two points are worth noting:
- The role of travel agencies in the “new landscape” that has emerged in the wake of the pandemic has become even more important, both because of their knowledge of destinations and the requirements for traveling to them, and because of their ability to respond to any issues that may arise during the trip.
- It is important to emphasize the need to cultivate and promote such leadership at this stage, which is marked by the increased complexity of social movements in the wake of the health crisis.
Winter 2022 REPORT: Habits and Behavior of Domestic Tourists / link to content
https://www.observatur.es/informes/
