Skift Take
As Americans cut back on international travel this fall, Europe is going to have to depend more on China to keep up its growth in inbound tourism.
American interest in traveling to Europe this fall has declined compared to last year, according to the European Travel Commission’s survey results released this week.
About 23% of Americans expressed interest in visiting Europe between September and December, down from 41% for the same period last year. Among those who didn’t express interest in traveling to Europe, 40% cited high travel costs as their primary reason.
This drop in interest follows a surge in American travel to Europe this summer. Between June and August, nearly 8 million U.S. citizens flew to Europe, up from 6.7 million last year, according to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.
American demand for travel to Southern Europe has been “gigantic” and “unbelievable,” said Andrew Nocella, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for United Airlines, at the Skift Global Forum in September.
The rising costs of international travel have deterred some American tourists from traveling abroad this fall. For this past Labor Day weekend, American bookings for trips abroad were down 4% due to the cost of international travel, including airfares and hotel stays, having risen 11%, according to AAA.
Americans aren’t the only ones deterred from traveling to Europe due to rising travel costs. At least 48% of Canadian, Brazilian, Japanese, and South Korean tourists said cost was their primary reason for not visiting Europe, according to the European Travel Commission.
Among travelers who plan to travel to Europe, about 66% plan to allocate between € 100 ($109) and € 200 ($219) per day, which was consistent with last year.
In response to rising costs, the European Travel Commission expects travelers will likely “recalibrate their spending habits” by choosing “less costly” options and prioritizing “essential” experiences.
Chinese Tourism Interest Rebounds
Chinese interest in travel to Europe has surged. About 83% of Chinese travelers expressed a desire to visit Europe, up 9% from last fall. A key driver was Golden Week during the first week of October.
Another driver was the reintroduction of direct flights between China and Europe. Major carriers like China Eastern and Air China have increased the frequency of their flights.
While their interest in Europe has grown, Chinese tourists—one of the region’s highest spenders before the pandemic— are traveling with smaller budgets this fall. About 38% plan to have a daily budget of over €200 (around $219), down from 68% last year.
