Mabrian, a global travel intelligence platform, reports positive tourism trends in Oceania while emphasizing the challenges posed by uneven air connectivity recovery.
As Oceania’s tourism sector rebounds from the pandemic, Mabrian’s insights indicate favorable travel intentions from key markets, including the US, India, China, and Europe, suggesting potential growth in travel demand for 2024 and beyond. However, the region’s uneven recovery in air connectivity presents significant hurdles that need to be addressed to fully capitalize on this demand. This analysis was shared with the World Travel & Tourism Council during its 2024 Global Summit in Perth, Australia, from October 8 to 10.
Oceania comprises 14 countries, divided into four main regions: Australia and New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. This diverse continent attracts outdoor enthusiasts and travelers interested in its unique cultural heritage and indigenous expressions.
According to the United Nations Tourism Department’s full-year data for 2023, Oceania is nearing its 2019 record of 17.46 million arrivals (12.87 million in 2023) and international tourism receipts of $61.4 billion (compared to $57.9 billion in 2023). The pandemic significantly impacted the region, resulting in longer recovery times. Most destinations reopened fully in early 2022 or later, enforcing some of the world’s strictest restrictions, similar to those in key Asian source markets. Demand patterns have gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels.
To assess Oceania’s travel demand for 2024 and early 2025, Mabrian analyzed two key indicators: changes in seat availability and flight schedules to gauge connectivity recovery post-pandemic, alongside Oceania’s Search Share Index, which reflects flight searches for the first half of 2024.
Air connectivity remains a crucial challenge for Oceania. Due to its geographic layout, the region relies heavily on domestic, regional, and international air travel. Mabrian’s data shows that overall regional connectivity has not yet fully recovered. Comparing inbound and domestic booked seats for the latter half of 2024 to the same period in 2019, the analysis reveals that only Polynesia has surpassed 2019 figures by 25%. In contrast, Micronesia is down by 31%, Melanesia by 17%, and Australia and New Zealand by 7%.
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