BERLIN, 17 January 2020: Two see-saw trends are evident in the Americas outbound travel market according to a preview of the World Travel Monitor by IPK International report that will be released in full at ITB Berlin this March.
In the first eight months of 2019, the report shows outbound travel from North America grew with 4.5% higher than the global average, while there was a contrasting 3% dip in outbound trips from Latin America.
Overall year-on-year figures reveal a 3.5% increase in outbound travel from the Americas as a whole. Destinations in Europe were clearly the leaders while demand for trips to Asia was sluggish. City breaks are still displaying above-average growth.
Looking forward
For 2020 the World Travel Monitor forecasts a continuous growth, at 3%.
The World Travel Monitor is based on the results of representative interviews with more than 500,000 people in over 60 countries worldwide. It has been compiled for more than 20 years and is recognized as the most widescale continuous survey of global travel trends.
In the past, the American continent benefited from Latin America’s outbound travel boom. Initial results for 2019, however, display a completely different trend. From North America outbound trips increased at an above-average rate of 4.5%, the Latin Americans’ outbound trips virtually collapsed with a minus 3%.
Outbound trips by US-Americans remain the driving force with a strong increase of 6% compared to the previous year period. Europe benefits the most.
Travel to Europe is showing strong trends above-average growth overall of around 7%. Europe not only achieved the highest growth rate among North Americans, but was also up among Latin Americans.
Trips to Spain and Italy were, particularly in demand. These countries registered strong growth in visitor numbers, at 11 and 10%. Even the UK, which recently suffered a drop in visitors, was able to attract more visitors from America.
Holiday trips on the rise
Holiday trips are becoming more popular on the American continent. Compared to the previous year period the holiday segment grew by 5% and now occupies just over 60% of the market. In contrast business trips fell by 1%.
City breaks
A look at the various holiday types shows different trends. At 10%, city breaks once again reported above-average growth. Domestic holidays also recorded strong growth, at 9%. The US-based cruise market likewise witnessed a very positive development of 6%.
2020 outcomes
IPK International expects outbound trips from North America to grow by 3% in 2020, slightly less than in 2019.
IPK International CEO Rolf Freitag, will present the final findings of the World Travel Monitor for 2019 at the ITB Future Day of the ITB Berlin Convention along with forecasts for 2020.
