ForwardKeys: Travel Demand Puts Athens in Highest Pandemic Recovery Rankings in Q4

Monastiraki Square in Athens.

Athens is among the three top most resilient European cities in terms of international tickets for travel between October 1 to December 31 this year, according to the latest CityDNA Barometer Report.

Based on the most recent air ticketing data by ForwardKeys, the report shows that the European travel and tourism sector is showing promising signs for the last quarter of 2023 with some leading destinations approaching pre-pandemic levels.

According to the report, Southern European destinations are expected to continue to lead the way in the highest recovery rankings. Cities such as Lisbon and Athens have witnessed double-digit growth in Q4, increasing by 13 percent.

“Seat capacity for international travel to Europe nearly reached pre-pandemic levels during the Q3 and is on an upward trend ahead of Q4 – a much-needed stimulus for travel to take off again across Europe,” says Olivier Ponti, VP of Insights at ForwardKeys.

Madrid leading the way

Madrid is experiencing a 9 percent increase in international arrivals compared to the same period in 2019 while Istanbul is also gradually climbing up the rankings of the most recovered destinations. Moreover, London (-2 percent), Dublin (-2 percent), and Rome (-3 percent) are projected to reach almost pre-pandemic arrival levels.

“This increase in air supply is so far met by a sustained increase in demand which we expect will push many destinations back to pre-pandemic levels while overall volumes continue their recovery towards 2024,” adds Ponti.

According to ForwardKeys, Spain’s outbound market is rebounding at a faster pace than the global average. Specifically, departures to other European countries are 6 percent higher than in the same quarter of 2019. Additionally, long-haul travel is also showing signs of recovery, with bookings currently at pre-pandemic levels.