Expedia CEO: “Travel Recovery is Just Around the Corner”

Expedia CEO Peter Kern predicted a speedy recovery in tourism. “The recovery of travel is not on the horizon, but just around the corner. And it will not just be on wooded trails and scenic roads, but also in large, dense, crowded cities,” he said.

According to Bloomberg, he noted that travelers feel safe with the measures that the tourism industry has taken against Covid-19.

“Except for the vaccine, my feeling is that people were getting more and more comfortable with how safe air travel and hotels are, the precautions that the industry has been taking. The amount of reserves has increased as a result. Of course, it helps if everyone does their part to keep the virus under control,” he added.

Likewise, he mentioned that large cities like Paris and New York have overcome setbacks such as terrorist attacks; He also referred to the vaccine’s early arrival, as announced by the Pfizer and Moderna laboratories.

“This is a time with more science, more technology. We are not going to give up,” he assured.

However, the World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ) recently reported that in 2020 there will be a drop in tourist arrivals of 70% compared to 2019 and expects a recovery at the earliest for the third quarter of 2021.

It is recalled, and as reported by REPORTUR.mx, Expedia Group announced a collaboration agreement with the UNWTO of the United Nations to promote the recovery of tourism and exchange information about travel data and consumption trends. The global travel platform and the international body will work on joint projects focused on understanding rural tourism, developing lesser-known destinations, and promoting education and skills development.

“Restoring travel will require an unprecedented level of collaboration in the public and private sectors, so working with the agency will allow us to join forces to rebuild the global tourism sector,” President Ariane Gorin said in mid-October from Expedia Business Services, highlighting their appreciation for working with UNWTO and demonstrating the group’s commitment to helping the industry recover.