Four-out-of-ten senior travel professionals think 2022 booking volumes across the industry will match or exceed 2019’s levels, reveals research released by WTM London.

Almost 700 senior professionals from around globe contributed to the WTM Industry Report and revealed an upbeat outlook for 2022, in terms of not only the wider industry but also their own business.

When asked, 26% are confident that industry bookings for 2022 will be comparable with 2019, with 14% expecting 2022 to outperform the last normal year before the outbreak of COVID-19 at the start of 2020.

When asked about their own business performance, professionals were equally optimistic, with 28% expecting bookings to match 2019, with 16% anticipating an increase.

However, not everyone is expecting a recovery in 2022. Almost half the sample (48%) think the industry will fall short of 2019, with 11% unsure. And for some individual businesses, 2022 will be a struggle, with 42% admitting that bookings are unlikely to match 2019. A further 14% are not sure how 2022 will pan out.

Simon Press, Exhibition Director, WTM London, said: “It is great to see such optimism from the global travel industry as it looks to recover from the impact of Covid-19. The industry comes together this week at WTM London to agree business deals that will shape the future of the global travel and tourism industry.”

World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events, online portals and virtual platforms across four continents, generating more than $7.5 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. Around 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating over £3.71 billion in travel industry contracts. In 2020, WTM Virtual facilitated 20,000+ meetings and held 42 live content sessions over the 3-days show.

Next live event: Monday 1 to 3 November 2021 at ExCel London

Next WTM Virtual: Monday 8 to 9 November 2021 – Virtual

www.london.wtm.com