2024 will be the year that global tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels, making popular tourist destinations overcrowded. However, there are special moments: times when you can still see must-see destinations like Rome and Paris with fewer people, less expensive airfares, and enjoy pleasant weather (also avoiding the excessive heat that local summers now bring).
Global tourism figures continued to grow in 2023, and according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the number of tourists ended the year at 88% of pre-pandemic levels, contributing greatly to China’s reopening. The United Nations World Tourism Organization predicts that through the end of 2024, travel will return to pre-pandemic levels.
This is despite the uncertainty caused by ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and the unprecedented number of elections to be held this year in countries where the country contributes enormously to the economy.
This would be good news for the global economy, if it weren’t for the climate crisis: nothing could even prevent the expansion of the industry like travel bans did in 2020, when Covid-19 first appeared. Between 1980 and 2019, foreign company arrivals fell from 277 million per year to 1. 5 billion, and the effect of SARS in 2003 and the global financial crisis of 2009 was only an insignificant incident compared to the pandemic.
This means that, after a year of unpredictable travel, it might be worth rethinking the same old vacation times and locations. That doesn’t mean you deserve to avoid old favorites like New York, Rome, and Paris: just stop at them in the off-season. , a term that already becomes more confusing when other people can paint remotely while traveling. Nor does it mean a stopover in winter, when the sky is darker.
The Washington Post estimates that the ideal time to visit Rome is between February and March, just after December’s busy holiday season and before things heat up in April. The weather is excellent and flight booking site Skyscanner reports that this is also the time to be offering the lowest airfares between the Italian capital and the United States. By the way, for the crowds, Thanksgiving is also a smart choice.
Beautiful Istanbul welcomed more than 20 million foreign climbers in 2023, so it may be the most productive time to make a stopover in September, when everyone leaves (most people historically travel to Turkey in July and August). March and Skyscanner report that flights are cheaper in March from the US. But not much else in September.
Hotel rooms and flights between the U. S. and Paris are lowest between February and April and then in September, and for Tokyo, it’s a smart idea to go out between April and May. For New York, the most productive time might be September (but not Fashion Week).
If you’re still making plans to travel during the peak summer season, now is the time to book for the best deals. The Washington Post also recommends using Google Flights to see if they offer you value for money. It may involve whether the charge submitted through the airline is higher or lower than seasonal averages.
For the world’s most popular destinations, such as Paris, London, and New York, it allows a booking period of four to seven months. Basically, to find great deals, buy flights in the opposite season to the one you’re looking for. I’ve been there lately.