(CNN) – Asia Pacific is home to some of the world’s most beloved travel destinations, from the natural beauty of Bali to the urban buzz of Singapore. These dreamy vacation hotspots — coupled with the region’s business power — earned Asia Pacific the title of the world’s largest travel region for much of the past decade.
Where Asia Pacific air traffic once accounted for more than a third of all global passenger travel, aviation in the region remains down 45% from pre-pandemic levels, according to CAPA.
Meanwhile, CAPA suggests that European air travel has recovered to roughly 85% of pre-pandemic levels, even accounting for the ongoing impact of the Russian occupation of Ukraine.
Slow healing
Japan is set to fully reopen on October 11. Photo here: Fushimi Inari Shrine in Japan
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In 2019, 3.38 billion passengers transited through Asia Pacific airports. In contrast, CAPA reports that current forecasts from ACI Asia-Pacific – an industry organization representing airports in the region – suggest that 1.84 billion passengers will have passed through Asia Pacific travel hubs by the end of 2022.
“What happens there has a tremendous impact on the rest of the region,” says CAPA of China and Japan, noting that they are two of the region’s top travel markets.
CAPA reports that most travel to Asia-Pacific destinations remains at 50% or more below 2019 levels, with only a few exceptions, such as India, which is only 11% below its 2019 figure.
Domestic travel in Asia Pacific is recovering faster than international travel, CAPA notes – domestic travel within China, for example, is only 5.4% down on 2019 levels.
Overall, CAPA predicts that Asia Pacific will not see a full return to pre-pandemic travel numbers until late 2023 or early 2024.
“Even then, recovery depends on countries opening their borders and ending ongoing travel restrictions, as well as broader economic and epidemiological situations,” the report said.
CAPA is arguing for “harmonisation of international travel rules” and “political commitments towards openness and freedom of movement”, as well as a continued vaccination effort, to help travel recover.
Great Wall of China main photo courtesy of Powerstock/Adobe Stock
