Read the vocabulary and the article, and then answer the questions.
According to CNBC, 2023 has seen international travel surges. Lets find out what is happening and why.
Vocabulary:
| Word | Type | Pronunciation | Definition |
| heating up | verb | /hiːtɪŋ ʌp/ | becoming more active or intense |
| Used in a sentence: The travel industry is heating up quickly. | |||
| surge | noun | /sɝːdʒ/ | a sudden and great increase |
| Used in a sentence: There has been a surge in travel bookings. | |||
| luxury | adjective | /ˈlʌk.ʃɚ.i/ | great comfort from expensive and beautiful things |
| Used in a sentence: A luxury hotel can easily cost 5 times the amount of a budget room. | |||
| forgo | verb | /fɔːrˈɡoʊ/ | to not have or do something |
| Used in a sentence: We had to forgo many things while we saved for our trip. | |||
According to CNBC, “The competition for travel dollars is heating up, and the U.S. is losing out.” These international travel surges have finally returned after many years of reduced demand due to Covid.
Airlines and hotels have recently reported a “surge in bookings” for international trips. Along with increased bookings have come increased prices. International airfare prices are up 10% from last year, while domestic airfare has dropped 11%.
It’s not only airfares that are seeing increased prices. European hotel prices are up 14% from last year, while U.S. hotel prices are up only 6%. Luxury hotels in Europe are seeing especially rapid increases. For example, luxury hotels in Paris saw an astonishing 22% price increase from a year ago, whereas Orlando, Florida luxury hotel prices barely budged.
With prices up significantly in Europe, you’d expect that domestic travel would be preferable for American travelers. Surprisingly, that is not the case. Despite the rising prices abroad, Americans are spending their dollars outside the U.S. Airline officials note that “international revenue growth far outpacing domestic revenue growth.”
The hypothesis is that there is “pent-up Covid demand” from people who were stranded at home for many months (or longer). Many people had to forgo trips and now they are making up for lost time.
Short Answer Questions:
- When did you last go on a trip?
- What is your idea of a “dream trip”?
- Which is more popular in your country right now, international or domestic travel?
You can read more about this topic here.
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