Passengers at the London Heathrow Airport in London, on July 14, 2022.

With multiple news reports of flight cancellations, as airports, suffering with staff shortages, struggle to cope with surging demand, ForwardKeys has taken a closer look at air traffic disruption, by analysing recent trends in intra-European flight bookings for travel in July and August and changes in seat capacity. It shows that a fall in consumer confidence, which began in the last week of May, has rapidly worsened, as last-minute bookings in the week running up to 10th July were down by 44%, compared with 2019 levels. Bookings from Amsterdam were down by 59% and from London by 41%.

LEHTIKUVA / AFP

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the European Travel Commission (ETC) warn the Travel & Tourism sector’s recovery could be put at serious risk if almost 1.2 million jobs remain unfilled across the EU.

The challenging summer labour shortfall has been revealed by WTTC in its latest analysis of the sector and calls for urgent action to address this critical issue.

After a period of relative quiet, the airline industry is now facing a renewed surge in travel as people return to work and normalcy. Airlines are cautiously optimistic about their prospects for the rest of the year after months of steep booking declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some routes are seeing increased demand, others remain sluggish. Airlines are still struggling to accommodate passengers best while maintaining social distancing guidelines.

Summertime is the best time to travel! The weather is nice, and the crowds are smaller. Finland is a great summer vacation spot because Finns celebrate their summer passionately. Many Finnish towns mainly come to life from May through August. So, what's summer-like in a Finnish city? Think festivals, saunas, kayaking, paddling, cruises, events, and white nights. Here are 5 of the best cities to visit during the summer months.

People walk across bridges linking terminals of Changi International Airport in Singapore on May 13, 2022. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

You are going on a trip abroad and your mind revolves around the weather at the destination and around what to pack. At this stage, few people think about the return trip. However, at the latest when you leave for home, it is good to be aware that you can’t bring back whatever you want to Finland. Before travelling, you should learn in advance about import restrictions and prohibitions to avoid unpleasant surprises when you arrive at customs.

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort

Japan is high on many travel-lover’s bucket lists, and where better to visit next than its northernmost prefecture! Hokkaido is world-famous for its amazingly deep powder snow, unique cultural nuances, and the freshest culinary delights. As societies are slowly beginning to open up again and traveling abroad resumes worldwide, you may be thinking about tuning up the downhill equipment and planning your next snowy peak adventure.

Helsinki, the capital of Finland is a wonderful place that’s become a major tourist attraction over the years. People all over the world come to visit this modern city in all its splendor. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misconception about Helsinki and Finland in general.

Global tourism experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020 (415 million versus 400 million). However, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) were still 72% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to preliminary estimates by UNWTO. This follows on from 2020, the worst year on record for tourism, when international arrivals decreased by 73%.

A fledgling recovery in both domestic and international air travel in October faces a new threat amid a spate of new restrictions imposed by governments due to the Omicron coronavirus variant, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday.