Post COVID-19 travel and tourism megatrends in South Pacific

COVID-19 produced the greatest shift in international traveller behaviour since the start of the Jet Age. The South Pacific has been at the forefront of those changes.

Travellers are increasingly embracing technology as part of the travel process. They are also more aware of the impacts of their travel and are increasingly seeking out unique cultural, religious and social encounters, often replacing urban tourism with a broader mix of destinations.

At the same time, business travel remains well below pre-pandemic levels, with technology serving as a notable substitute, while luxury travel is reaching new highs.

This was the topic of a panel discussion at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit in Brisbane in the middle of Sep-2023.

The session was moderated by CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Head of Research, Simon Elsegood and included Air Tahiti, CEO, Manate Vivish; Air Caledonie, COO, Phil Busson; Fiji Airways, Chief Strategy Officer, John Checketts; and Nauru Airlines, CEO, Brett Gebers.

Some of the topic areas covered included:

• How do regional travel and tourism providers pivot to accommodate these changing traveller preferences?
• With the Asia Pacific now largely reopen to international travel, how have the dynamics of the inbound travel market changed for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific?
• What sort of new destinations are being marketed to outbound travellers from Australasia?
• What does the changing travel mix mean for airlines and other air travel partners?
• How do the tourism-dependent economies of the South Pacific chart a path to greater travel sustainability and resilience in the face of future crises?

You can view the full session via the following CAPA TV recording.