Global Key Themes for Travel and Tourism in 2022

Recovery in international travel will gather pace during 2022, but there will be some further reductions in activity early in the year along with clear risks related to the new Omicron variant. Short-haul intra-regional travel is still likely to see fastest recovery.

What you will learn:

• Domestic travel continues to lead the recovery, thanks to ongoing substitution from international travel. The domestic share of total travel is expected to fall back in 2022 but will remain well above the pre-pandemic trend.
• Recovery in international travel will lag in Asia-Pacific, including greater substitution towards domestic travel. This is notable in China, and although it is not expected to make the slowest recovery, its scale makes it critical. 
• Transatlantic travel reopened in November 2021, and, while some restrictions have been reimposed in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, continued vaccine roll-out and improvements in treatment should allow easing in early 2022.