Data from IATA shows just how big the gap is between current and pre-pandemic travel in Spain
The International Aerial Transport Association (IATA) has recently reported that the number of national travellers rose significantly in July 2021 in comparison with the previous month, but the demand from international travellers is still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
This lull in international travel is mostly due to the ever-changing list of Covid restrictions imposed by the government in Spain, and in other countries, which make travelling to foreign locations more complicated.
Combining data from both domestic and foreign tourists, air travel in July 2021 was 53.1 per cent lower than in July 2019, which is a large improvement from June 2021, when the figure was 60 per cent lower than the previous year.
Taking into account only national flights, the number of passengers this July was only 15.6 per cent lower than in July 2019; the figure for June of this year was 22.1 per cent lower than last year’s.
Meanwhile, the gap between pre-pandemic and current figures for international travel is much wider; 73.6 per cent lower in July and 80.9 per cent lower in June.
The General Director of the IATA attributes these figures to the government-imposed restrictions, stating that, for international travel to return to normal levels, governments need to “restore freedom of movement” or at least abolish travel restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated.
IMAGE: Archive
Source: Murcia Today
