Most establishments, especially in Africa, were all set for a comparatively busy holiday season, only to experience cancellations from all their international clients who were unable to travel.

Now, IATA says ‘enough is enough’. It’s time for solutions, not restrictions.

IATA’s annual global passenger traffic results for 2021 show things are slowly improving for the airline industry. It also highlights the devastating effect of the Omicron announcement in late November, last year.

The impact of travel restrictions on flights

When compared to 2019, the overall demand for airline tickets was still 58.4% below normal for 2021. International flights suffered mightily, experiencing a 75.5% decline compared to 2019.

In the wake of the Omicron debacle, December 2021 airline bookings plummeted by 45.1% during December when compared to 2019, performing only a few percentage points better than November’s low season bookings.

Domestic flights took a hit too, down 28.2% compared to 2019.

While other economic factors might have affected domestic travel’s low performance, this decline illustrates the knock-on effect that international bans can have on traveller confidence.

For instance, while international bans don’t prevent travellers from booking flights from Durban to Cape Town, or even from Joburg to George, uncertainty and fear can impact their choices.

More people are opting to visit destinations closer to home where they can travel by car. Many now prefer the privacy offered by self-catering accommodation above the communal dining offered by hotels.

The Omicron effect

When foreign nations lashed out against southern Africa by imposing travel bans, it had a tsunami-like ripple effect that shreds through every layer of society and impacts countries far beyond the intended targets.

In the wake of these announcements, demand for flights to Africa declined by a massive 60.5% when compared to 2019. That’s after a massive initial uptick in bookings when the UK lifted some of its travel restrictions.

Despite this, Africa’s final tally of flight bookings ended up the best among all regions for 2021. However, thanks to the backlash from affected nations as well as the WHO, the Omicron restrictions weren’t long lived. In the end they only set the industry back about two weeks.

Two weeks is a long time in tourism, especially during the busiest time of year, so it’s clear that the travel industry needs to find another way if it ever wants to get back to normal.

Courtesy of Bizcommunity – read full article here.