Oge ezumike a na-echere ogologo oge na-akpali ịgba ọgwụ mgbochi ọrịa

How is the rest of the world reacting?

Weekly protests and marches have taken place in several European cities, sometimes clashing with police and security forces. Why? Because we’ve been taught that democracy is our way of life, and some of us see it slowly slipping out of our grasp. And that is scarier than COVID.

The ones that aren’t too bothered about democracy can’t wait for the world to get vaccinated so they can have their lives back. Fortunately for the travel industry, those represent the larger portion of people. Many have started to plan vacations more boldly as countries open their borders and remove travel restrictions.

There are countries in which the percentage of people already booked a trip to somewhere has already reached double-digit figures. All this gives us hope. All the more so as these are not just hunches but also an actual stable trend, as seen through the statistics.

March was another month of steady growth in bookings. Although globally it accounts for less than 16% of March from 2 years ago, the trend for 2021 seems to be set. In the German market, the number of bookings rose by 57% in March compared to February during a period of prolonged lockdowns, and 2 seems to be a good prognosticator for the colorful future.

As lockdowns are removed and restrictions begin to loosen, international travel begins to resume. We’ve started to travel shorter distances, often with our own mode of transport. In addition to the sudden rise and fall in interest in local destinations, the Germans decided on Spain, Turkey, Egypt, and Greece.

Compared to February, Greece, in particular, attracted a little more interest, but still its share of bookings exceeded the numbers from 2 years ago in the same period by 7 multiples. On the other hand, the USA and Canada seem to be still the most affected by the government’s reflection of strict travel bans set in place. Simultaneously, the dizzying rate of vaccination in these countries indicates that the trend could rebound strongly in the coming months.

The receding winter has encouraged German travelers to make reservations in warmer Spanish resorts such as Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas, Puerto del Rosario, and Tenerife as well as other sunny beach destinations from spots like Hurghada, Antalya, and Dubai.