Holidaymakers are ready to take the plane in the coming months, although disruptions in travel schedules due to staff shortages and soaring inflation could dampen holiday joy somewhat.
At least that’s what Peter Kern, CEO of Expedia Group, says, the company behind travel websites such as Expedia.com, HomeAway and Trivago.
According to Kern, who spoke at the Bloomberg Technology Summit in San Francisco, it is not yet clear whether and when the wanderlust among consumers will diminish. Travel executives have been talking for months about a robust season after two lean years as a result of the corona crisis.
In addition, travellers do not appear to be deterred by high inflation, rising energy costs, labour shortages or the spread of corona variants in some areas.
Companies such as Expedia, Booking Holdings and Airbnb have all recently expressed optimism about performance over the next few months. According to Kern, there is a catch-up demand. “We have seen that people are also willing to spend more on travel.”