Last month, former Abta chair Martin Brackenbury, addressing WTM London, described overtourism “a very large barrier” to the overall sustainability of the travel industry.
Euromonitor has also reduced its projections for international arrivals during the first quarter of 2024 from 1.5 billion to 1.46 billion, citing a combination of inflation and economic stagnation. “Inflationary pressures, economic uncertainty and labour shortages will be some of the main challenges faced by the travel industry in 2024,” it warned.
Despite this cautious outlook, the report foregrounded how biometric identification, generative AI and augmented reality tools will mitigate shortages of labour and improve customer service in the year to come. The report also celebrated the “strong recovery of international travel”, with trips increasing by 38% across 2023.
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It said the strength of this recovery was in part dye to the return of Chinese international tourists…