International Travel Continues Rebounding

A leading visa processing provider says visa application volumes between January and May 2022 grew by more than 100% compared to the same period last year.

Chris Dix of VFS Global stated in a press release on July 19, 2022, "With the opening of international borders, easing of travel restrictions, and the resumption of regular international flights, the industry is currently witnessing peak revenge-travel." 

"For example, India's visa applications are averaging more than 20,000 per day as we head into their July–August holiday season."

"These numbers include travelers visiting Canada, Europe, and the UK, along with other popular destinations."

"We also expect an extended summer travel season this year with planned international trips stretching to September 2022."

Commenting in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2022 Q3, Dr. Marie Owens Thomsen, Chief Economist at IATA, says, "By next year, many markets should see traffic reach or exceed pre-pandemic levels, while we expect this to be the case for the industry as a whole in 2024."

In the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported on July 30, 2022, that airport activity is operating at about 89% of the activity seen in 2019.

Since June 1, 2022, TSA has screened an average of 2.27 million people daily, a 16% increase over last year's volumes.

But an 11% decrease from pre-pandemic 2019 levels when TSA screened approximately 2.56 million people on average per day.

So far in July 2022, TSA saw a surge in the number of people screened and anticipates sustained travel volumes throughout the summer.

Note: This information was translated and manually curated for international travelers.