Tourism, interest in South-East Asia is growing

Despite the general climate of uncertainty, tourists in the area EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) they return to planning their trips well in advance, albeit opting for shorter stays than in the past. L’Europe is confirmed favorite destination but it grows, at the same time,interest in Southeast Asia (12% versus 11% in 2023) compared to a decline in that for North America (from 14% to 10%). This was revealed by the study conducted by the specialized search engine Skyscanner which compared redirects and searches for flights made from January 1 to 31, 2024 with departures from June 1 to August 31, 2024 with those from a year ago.

In particular, the percentage of travelers who book before 90 days of departure goes from 36% in 2023 to 37% in 2024 while the weight of ‘last minute’ tourists, with departures within 7 days, drops from 11% to 10 %. The duration of trips to the most popular destinations also recorded a slight decrease compared to the previous year. As for the most popular destinations, 53% of EMEA travelers choose Europe (+4% compared to the previous year), orienting themselves, primarily, towards Spain (Palma and Ibiza in the lead) e Greece (Zante, Mykonos, Heraklion and Corfu). Bangkok, New York and Sydney they are, however, the most popular destinations among long-haul travellers. Among the destinations that have recorded the greatest increases in search volumes we also find Victoria (Canada), Marmagao (India), Panama City (Panama), Bol (Croatia) and Pristina (Kosovo).

“Our latest analyzes reveal a travel landscape that remains familiar while at the same time constantly evolving,” he says Stefano Maglietta, travel expert at Skyscanner – While traditional seasonality is returning and demand for popular destinations remains high, travelers are also looking for value experiences and are also considering options closer to home. Across all Skyscanner platforms we saw incredible demand at the start of the year and we expect this trend to continue into the summer, especially in areas such as Europe.”