Skift

Episode Notes The U.S. travel industry will likely see a full recovery in Chinese and Japanese tourism by 2026 — a year earlier than expected, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. The latest report from the U.S. National and Travel Tourism Office projects that international travel to the U.S. will fully recover in 2025. However, the office expects China and Japan to be behind the U.S.’ other source markets. An executive at the organization cited China’s weak economy and flight restrictions as barriers to a full rebound in Chinese visitors.  In addition, soaring airfares have deterred some Japanese travelers from visiting the U.S.  Next, many travelers might be unaware of Volotea, but the Barcelona-based airline is holding its own in Europe’s very competitive low-cost carrier market. Volotea CEO Carlos Muñoz explained how it’s achieved success in an interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Muñoz said Volotea is the only low-cost airline dedicated to second- and third-tier cities, adding the co