by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:05 AM ET, Wed May 31, 2023
A new study found that travelers are reporting high
confidence levels ahead of the peak summer vacation travel season.
Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
found that 79 percent of travelers said they were planning a trip between June
and August, with forward bookings data from May to September showing the
numbers are 35 percent higher than in 2022.
In North America, forward bookings indicate 14.1 percent
growth, while growth is expected to improve by 39.9 percent in Europe and Latin
America will jump 21.4 percent.
The survey also found that while 85 percent said disruptions
during the peak travel season should not be a surprise, 80 percent revealed
that they expected smooth travel with many of the post-pandemic issues resolved.
“Expectations are high for this year’s peak Northern summer
travel season,” IATA Senior Vice President Nick Careen said. “For many this
will be their first post-pandemic travel experience.”
“While some disruptions can be expected, there is a clear
expectation that the ramping-up issues faced at some key hub airports in 2022
will have been resolved,” Careen continued. “To meet strong demand, airlines
are planning schedules based on the capacity that airports, border control,
ground handlers, and air navigation service providers have declared. Over the
next months, all industry players now need to deliver.”
Even with more Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents
and air traffic controllers on duty to meet the holiday rush, the Memorial
Day travel period was one of the busiest in recent memory, leaving
travelers waiting in long lines at airports across the United States.
According to the TSA’s official website, 2,744,469 people
were screened by security officers on Friday, May 26, the most since November
2019, with wait times topping one hour or more at several of the busiest
facilities.
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