by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:52 PM ET, Mon October 25, 2021
A new study found flight bookings to the United States have increased following the announcement that international travelers vaccinated against coronavirus would once again be allowed to visit in November.
According to data from ForwardKeys, weekly commercial flight bookings exceeded 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels by the middle of October.
"This data yet again demonstrates the enormous pent-up demand for travel," ForwardKeys Head of Market Intelligence Juan Gomez said. "Immediately people heard that they would be allowed to visit the USA again; they booked; and a substantial proportion booked to fly as soon as they could."
In September, President Joe Biden and his administration announced that vaccinated travelers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the 26 Schengen countries, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil would be allowed to enter the U.S. without being subject to quarantine.
While the White House did not specify an exact reopening date at the time, week-on-week bookings from the UK jumped 83 percent, from Brazil jumped 71 percent and from the European Union jumped 185 percent.
When government officials announced earlier this month that COVID-19 vaccinated tourists would be allowed back in America on November 8, bookings jumped 15 percent from the UK, 26 percent from the EU and 100 percent from Brazil.
"It is also interesting to note that bookings climbed higher once a specific date was given. That is not entirely surprising for two reasons," Gomez continued. "First, the certainty of a specific date inspires confidence. Second, those wanting to travel before the end of November could not afford to make a commitment until they knew for sure that they could travel when they wanted to."
The research from ForwardKeys also found the distribution of confirmed bookings found two clear peaks; the first for travel immediately after restrictions are lifted and the other for the 2021 winter holiday travel period.
"I am optimistic that in the coming weeks, we will see a steep increase in bookings to the USA for the Christmas period," Gomez said.
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