Research Overview

This Frost & Sullivan study investigates the relationship between popular tourist destinations and the airline agreements of their top carriers, identifying each destination’s primary source countries of international tourism. Europe topped the list of 10 destinations as the most popular tourist region in 2019, with 5 European countries having a footfall of more than 39 million international tourists each. From the study’s analysis, the 10 tourist destinations are found to have undertaken measures and drawn up plans for tourism recovery in their countries. Another key observation indicates that these destinations have a robust aviation network comprising a major full-service carrier (usually the country’s flag carrier) and at least one low-cost carrier connecting them with a nearby source country of tourism.

This study found airline agreements to play an essential role in supporting tourism growth. Because airlines monitor tourist activity, most have secured multiple levels of partnerships with airlines from top source countries to capitalize on the booming tourism industry. This study provides an overview of various airline partnerships, including interline agreements, codeshare agreements, airline alliances, and joint venture agreements.