As the holiday season nears, travel demand is on the rise. While leisure travel was the first to pick up steam and remains the driving force behind a new surge of tourism, business travel has been gaining momentum over the last quarter, too. So where is everyone going?
In a report by Expedia Group, “Travel Recovery Trend Report,” it was found that leisure and business travel demand are beginning to look more or less “normal” in sections of the world. In 2021’s third quarter, the demand for business travel was up 40 percent quarter-over-quarter and more than 110 percent from 2020’s third quarter.
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In North America, and globally, New York topped the list as one of the most booked destinations from travelers from Asia Pacific (APAC); Europe, Middle East and Africa(EMEA); and Latin America (LATAM); other destinations international travelers are looking at closely are Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando. For business travel, the most booked destinations are Chicago, Atlanta and New York.
In EMEA, travelers are booking to London, Dubai and Paris, the top three choices. LATAM travelers’ top choices are Mexico City, New York and Cancun. In APAC, travelers are heading in droves to Seoul and Seogwipo, South Korea; and Tokyo.
Worldwide demand for hotels grew 5 percent quarter-over-quarter, as compared to vacation rental properties; in EMEA, hotel demand grew 20 percent from the second quarter. London saw the greatest lodging demand in the third quarter, at more than 90 percent. New York and Anaheim, California, saw increased demand, 10 and 15 percent, respectively, as well.
Travelers’ booking windows have shortened, with nearly 70 percent of global searches falling within the 30-day window, a 15 percent increase quarter-over-quarter; searches between the 31- to 90-day window decreased from 25 percent in this year’s second quarter to 20 percent in the third quarter.
