Travel agency Ticket reports that bookings have generally decreased by 21 percent from December to March, compared to the same period last year. However, during the period of January-February, the corresponding decrease is closer to 30 percent.
This decrease can be due to a combination of different factors: the political situation, currency, and high costs associated with traveling to the USA, says Tiyoneh Jah, communications officer at Ticket, to the newspaper.
The largest percentage decrease is seen in bookings to Los Angeles – a whole 45 percent. According to Tiyoneh Jah, it may also be due to the fact that the area has been severely affected by wildfires in recent times.
Travel organizer Rolfs flyg och buss – which annually makes around 100 group trips to the USA – has been hit even harder.
About 50 percent have fallen off compared to what it should be. And what one can see is that the decline has come now in February, especially the last two weeks. They have been catastrophic, says CEO Emanuel Karlsson, who also sees the political situation as a reason for fewer bookings to the USA.
