The latest edition of the Skift Recovery Index shows that the recovery is continuing to an extent across many regions, but some areas, such as Asia, are seeing declines. The average global score is now standing at 60 points for May 2021, which is positive, but there is still clearly a need to remain cautious as we look ahead.
The most recent Skift Recovery Index, which looks at data from May, shows the recovery in Europe is still going strong but that there were drops in South Africa and parts of Asia, such as Thailand and India. There is also a clear warning about the road ahead as South Africa and the UK could be in the ‘danger zone’ for June as cases of COVID-19 rise quickly once again.
Good News for Europe
Following declines in COVID cases and the reopening of borders, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany are now reaping the rewards with their individual index scores rising by more than 10 points each. Following announcements made on May 19 regarding the reopening of borders to non-EU travelers, it is now hoped that the US market will be attracted to Europe once again, especially for the Fall and Christmas seasons.
US Continues to Perform Well
Keeping up the momentum of the last few months, the US has added another 6 percentage points to its score, which now stands at an impressive 86%. Mexico is also doing well and has a performance close to 95% of pre-pandemic levels. This is particularly celebration-worthy when considering that 15 of the 22 countries covered in the Index are still below the 50% mark.
Despite borders opening up across various parts of the world, it’s clear by looking at the recent data that in terms of travel, home is where the heart is for US travelers. The latest Skift Research Travel Tracker survey highlights that US travel is still heavily focused on domestic destinations. However, what is interesting is that transport preference is shifting slightly towards air travel and away from the road.
The Skift Recovery Index is a real-time measure of where the travel industry stands in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Index is compiled from data provided by industry leaders, including Amadeus, Duetto, OAG, and Skyscanner, amongst others. Subscribe here: research.skift.com/recovery.