Are destinations reverting to the pre-pandemic “normal”?

Article - Tuesday, 4 June 2024

Duro, J.A., Osório, A., Pérez-Laborda, A. and Roselló-Nadal (2023): Are destinations reverting to the pre-pandemic “normal”?, Tourism Economics

After three years since the pandemic started, it's crucial to assess how well adaptation has happened. In this research note, we looked at how Spanish provinces adapted in the years 2020 to 2022. We found that certain factors played different roles in absorbing the shock in 2020, adapting in 2021, and recovering in 2022. While some things have gone back to how they were, there are still lasting effects in 2022. For example, tourists still prefer natural destinations over urban ones, and some distant markets haven't fully recovered. Understanding these dynamics is important for the tourism industry to fully bounce back.