by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:16 PM ET, Tue February 8, 2022
A new study from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) found that travel's recovery in the United States could rebound strongly in 2022.
According to a recovery outlook from the WTTC and Oxford Economics, the tourism industry in the U.S. could reach $2 trillion in U.S. GDP contribution and exceed pre-pandemic levels by 6.2 percent.
Data suggests the U.S. domestic travel spending could reach more than $1.1 trillion for the year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 11.3 percent. International traveler spending could see growth of $113 billion during the year, reaching nearly $155 billion, 14 percent less than 2019 levels.
"Our latest forecast shows the recovery significantly picking up this year as infection rates subside and travelers continue benefitting from the protection offered by the vaccine and boosters," WTTC president Julia Simpson said.
"As travel restrictions ease and consumer confidence returns, we expect a welcome release of pent-up Travel & Tourism demand," Simpson continued. "That, together with what we hope will be a strong consumer-led economic recovery, creates a bullish outlook for the sector."
The WTTC found if the vaccine rollout continues at its current pace and restrictions to international travel are eased, employment in the sector could also surpass pre-pandemic levels, reaching nearly 16.8 million jobs, above pre-pandemic levels by 200,000 jobs.
New research from ForwardKeys revealed inbound bookings to the U.S. over the Easter period have increased by 212 percent compared to the same period last year. Bookings for summer travel have seen a jump of 58 percent this year, with international bookings increasing 87 percent over pre-pandemic levels.
"The good news is our outlook delivers a clear message: If the right conditions exist, the Travel & Tourism sector can rebound to deliver economic and employment benefits we have not seen since before the pandemic," Simpson said. "We encourage global leaders to consider the economic and employment benefits of boosting consumer confidence by allowing fully vaccinated travelers to move freely."
Last week, the WTTC revealed the tourism industry's contribution to the global economy could reach $8.6 trillion this year, just 6.4 percent behind pre-pandemic levels.
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