The demand for long distance travel is returning sharper
The increase in long-haul flights to popular destinations shows that airlines have predicted that the demand for long-haul travel will be increased this year.
Despite the travel restrictions posed by COVID-19, it seems that consumer confidence has not been so tragically damaged, as a recent survey (April 20, 2021) by GlobalData revealed that 36% of respondents said they would consider an international travel to a different continent in the next 12 months, 8% more than the percentage of respondents who said they would make an international trip to a country within the continent in which they live.
The Ralph Hollister , Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments:“Because of COVID-19, frequent adjustments have been made to travel restrictions and each country has different regulations, which means that traveling to a different continent will remain at some risk in the short term. This can lead to sudden cancellations and the possibility of contracting the virus in the minds of travelers. However, it seems that these factors may not prevent consumers from traveling, as long-distance routes seem to be reopening to the masses this year.
The concern around all this suggests that the demand for long distance travel should logically be lower than the demand for short distance travel, however this does not seem to be the case. “This shows that the general fatigue caused by the pandemic has made travelers insist that they need a radical change of scenery and may be willing to put aside their major concerns in order to do so . “
This month, United Airlines announced further international expansion of long-haul flights to Europe, while Air Francesaid the same in the US, with new flights starting this summer. United Airlines has said it will add new flights to Croatia, Iceland and Greece. In addition, Air France announced that it has added Denver to its network.
And Hollister concludes:“This increase in long-haul flights to popular destinations shows that airlines have also predicted that demand for long-haul travel will increase this year. Long distance travel betting, both on the part of the traveler and the business, is still in jeopardy as the pandemic is not over and the situation can change quickly. However, the global demand for long-distance travel is obviously growing, which shows signs that a substantial recovery could begin this year.
