Ahmet Pandir, CEO of PMA Group, recently attended the Travel News Event 2024, Sweden's premier B2B travel event, held in central Stockholm. The event aims to connect international travel suppliers with the Scandinavian outbound market, providing a platform for destinations, hotels, DMCs, and other travel and tourism suppliers to engage with agents, operators, and MICE professionals from the Scandinavian region.
This year's event showcased a notable improvement over the previous year, featuring a diverse array of exhibitors. The majority were regional players, complemented by a select number of international airlines. Despite these advancements, the event still has some ground to cover to match the scale and influence of leading international shows like ITB Berlin and WTM London.
Industry Outlook: Key Statistics
Nordic Capitals' Hotel Performance: In early 2024, hotel revenues in Nordic capitals experienced moderate growth rates between 5% and 10%, reaching historic highs.
Nordic Outbound Travel Growth: Outbound visits in Europe are predicted to grow by 12.2% in 2024, with Central and Eastern European countries forecasted to record the highest growth rates.
Nordic Inbound Travel Growth: Europe's tourism industry continued its recovery in the second quarter of 2024, with foreign arrivals (+6%) and overnights (+7%) surpassing 2019 figures.
Domestic Travel within Nordic Countries: The Nordic hotel market is dominated by domestic business travel in each country, which has returned to 2019 levels after lagging in previous years.
Top Destinations for Nordic Outbound Travel: In 2023, the total outbound trips from Scandinavia reached 45.17 million. Spain was a particularly popular destination, offering a pleasant climate and a welcome escape from colder Scandinavian winters.
Additionally, destinations like Cape Verde, Gambia, and Egypt have seen a rise in popularity among Nordic travelers, indicating a diversification in travel preferences.
The positive trends in both outbound and inbound travel, along with robust domestic tourism, reflect a resilient and dynamic Nordic travel market poised for continued growth.
Comments