Global travel sector grows despite headwinds

The global tourism sector is growing, despite conflicts and economic uncertainty. That's the finding of a new report by World Travel Market, which says the number of international arrivals is set to hit a record 1.57 billion in 2026. David Goodger, Managing Director, EMEA at Tourism Economics, who authored the report, says overall tourism spending is also higher, despite rising prices. "A little over half of that spending increase is because of inflation (…) we are seeing still a prioritisation of luxury experiences – people treating themselves when they can." The WTM report suggests the number of people using chatbots to plan their itineraries has jumped, but only a third of travellers say they trust AI agents to complete their bookings. "We’re not seeing AI completely replacing humans in the industry," says Goodger. "AI is fundamental to activities, it’s doing a lot in the background, but there is still space for that human touch, that human service." Meanwhile, Goodger says Paris and other French cities that have been rocked by sometimes violent protests will remain attractive destinations. "There may be some short-term disruption, where people are choosing a different city or destination (…) But what we’ve seen over time is that those travellers will return, and more quickly than they have done in the past – that rate of recovery has halved over the past few years. Travel is resilient, people really want those experiences."