The first ever World Tourism Day took place 43 years ago today. The date commemorates when the Statutes of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation were adopted, a milestone in global tourism.
Having suffered significantly in recent years due to the pandemic, the tourism industry has experienced a boom in recent months, with global tourism arrivals predicted to increase by 30 percent for 2023. To mark World Tourism Day, AvaTrade has assessed the Year-To-Date (YTD) performance of tourism-related stocks.
Marriott
The world’s largest hotel group, whose portfolio includes several well-known billion-dollar components, including the Ritz-Carlton and Sheraton, has seen its share price increase by 30 percent YTD. The company has bounced back from pandemic era-shutdowns, with its revenue and profitability beginning to approach pre-pandemic levels as travellers’ vacation abroad.
As Marriott’s premium brands are in high demand, more rooms were sold to customers leading to a high profitability as revenue per available room has increased by 13.5 percent from the previous year. What’s more, the company has also taken measures to add more affordable midscale hotels to target an even broader audience. The high demand combined with the pipeline of potential new properties makes the Marriott appealing to traders.
Airbnb
So far, 2023 has been kind to the online platform which provides hospitality services, seeing its stock price rise by a sizeable 57.6 percent this year alone. With remote working likely to stay following the pandemic, Airbnb has emerged as one of the major beneficiaries of this transition.
As millions of individuals are now able to work from anywhere in the world, providing they have a solid internet connection, there has been an increase in the popularity of extended-stay bookings on Airbnb. Additionally, the company has upgraded its platform by adding flexible-date search tools, making the booking process more efficient and effective, encouraging more people to make use of the site.
Royal Caribbean Cruises
To say 2023 has been a good year for the major cruise line would be an understatement. For the YTD, the company’s share price has risen by 85 percent – a staggering figure. Following the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, restrictions have eased leaving individuals free to travel across the world, unleashing years’ worth of pent-up demand. In Q1 alone, the company’s revenue reached $2.9 billion. What’s more, Royal Caribbean appeals to a wide audience, offering a broad range of vacations from luxury to affordable which has played a significant role in its sail to success.
Tripadvisor
One travel company which has seen its share price fall this year is Tripadvisor. The online travel agent and comparison website’s stock price has fallen by 13 percent YTD in 2023 so far. The company’s earnings in Q2 declined, with its free cash fall falling from $282 million to $90 million in 2022, with its revenue only rising by 2 percent. Despite Tripadvisor’s activities company, Viator, performing well this year, the company’s most profitable segment, hotels, declined by 7 percent. Though the company benefited from a rise in headcount, additional expenses spent on factors like salaries and benefits exceeded the revenue expected, contributing to the decline.
*Figures are accurate as of 26th September 2023
