According to a new survey of over 26 000 consumers from 25 countries conducted by British research and data analytics firm YouGov for the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the appetite for international travel is now at its highest since the start of the pandemic.

The survey, revealed at WTTC’s 22nd global summit in Riyadh this week, found that 63% of respondents were planning a leisure trip in the next 12 months, and their appetite to travel shows no signs of slowing, with more than a quarter (27%) of consumers planning three or more trips over the same period.

Looking at the biggest travel spenders for the next 12 months, it identified Australians as spending the most on international travel, while travellers from Canada, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines are also expected to spend more than the rest of the globe.

The YouGov global tracker found that the attractiveness of Saudi Arabia continues to grow, along with Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Thailand.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed (61%) said they preferred travel brands and more sustainable destinations and nearly half (45%) said they would only spend their hard-earned money with socially and environmentally responsible brands.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO said: “Travellers are getting ready to explore the world again. The results of this global survey also show the growing importance of sustainable travel amongst consumers.”