INTERNATIONAL. New research from travel analyst ForwardKeys reveals the pace of global business travel recovery is set to overtake leisure travel in July.
Based on tickets sold as of 30 May, business travel will next month reverse the overriding trend of leisure passengers leading recovery since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Business flight bookings for the month are just -14% behind 2019 levels while leisure is -16% in arrears.
ForwardKeys predicts that the gap “will probably widen” in the autumn, as business bookings for September are currently just -1% behind 2019, whereas leisure bookings are -8% behind.
ForwardKeys VP Insights Olivier Ponti said: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, business travel flight bookings have been slower to recover than leisure, and currently still are. However, that situation now looks likely to change.”
He added: “It is conceivable the trend of leisure leading the recovery could continue if there is a late surge in summer holiday bookings; but the rise in inflation, including the price of hospitality and airline tickets, makes that unlikely.” 
