USA/INTERNATIONAL. US travel intelligence service Skift’s invaluable monthly Travel Health Index for May suggests further encouraging recovery in the global travel market. Based on analysis from data partners, performance measured in 22 major countries shows the sector has now recovered to 81% of pre-pandemic levels, a new high since the Index began.
The Skift Travel Health Index is a real-time measure of the performance of the travel industry across those countries and the core verticals within it. It is designed to provide the travel industry with a powerful tool for strategic planning amid deeply uncertain times.
April 2020 saw an all-time low during the pandemic, with the Index recording a score of just 20. The Index now stands at 81 points against a 2019 baseline of 100, a rise of four points against April 2022 and the first time the score has gone above the 80-point mark since February 2020.
Meanwhile, Skift’s US Travel Tracker (USTT) shows that almost 47% of Americans travelled in May, a +4% lift from the same period in 2021.
According to the USTT, 41% of US consumers already have plans to travel in the future and another 30% indicate they are likely to travel this summer. Skift noted that this points to a very strong season for the US travel industry.
However, Skift also observed the possibility of an economic downturn amid falling consumer confidence. The USTT indicates that concerns about an economy crisis and personal financial situations reached the highest since March and April 2020 when the pandemic, in the words of Skift, “crippled the entire country”.
Over half of Americans surveyed by Skift flagged that travel prices this summer are much higher than last summer. As a result, many of them plan to cut costs or alter their travel plans, the analyst said.
Skift also noted that remote and hybrid work remain stable despite the debate in the US over calling workers back to the office.
In May, 23% of remote workers questioned by Skift said they have taken long trips of more than ten days because of the work flexibility, which the analyst said is a sign that the ‘work anywhere’ trend will continue to create new opportunities for the travel industry.
