The fastest growing scheduled service Mediterranean holiday destination in July 2013 is Tunisia, while demand for flights to more mature holiday markets such as Spain and Italy appears to be levelling off, according to OAG, the market leader in aviation intelligence.
OAG’s July FACTS (Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics) report shows that scheduled international airline seat capacity to and from Tunisia has increased by 24% year-on-year, more than any other Mediterranean country that month. Airlines are also increasing capacity to two other North African countries bordered by the Mediterranean Sea – Egypt and Morocco – which will have 13% and 12% more international seats respectively in July 2013 compared to July 2012. Turkey is another of the Mediterranean’s standout performers, recording year-on-year seat capacity growth of 15%.
Top 10 fastest growing Mediterranean holiday destinations for July 2013, as measured by year-on-year international seat capacity:
1. Tunisia (+24%)
2. Turkey (+15%)
3. Egypt (+13%)
4. Morocco (+12%)
5. Israel (+9%)
6. Greece (+7%)
7. Portugal (+5%)
8. Spain (+4%)
9. Italy (-1%)
10. Cyprus (-4%)
John Grant, executive vice president, OAG, says: “The rate at which seat capacity to Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco is being increased for July 2013 compared to July 2012 highlights the rising appeal of North African destinations to holidaymakers, who are increasingly looking beyond the more traditional European markets. The improvement in the political landscape across the region is likely to be a key reason in the expansion of international capacity, while many tourists are also keen to holiday outside of the eurozone to ensure they get the best value for money.
“The 24% increase in international seats to and from Tunisia takes the country’s capacity for the month of July to its highest level in 10 years and can be largely attributed to the national carrier, Tunisair, which accounts for 50% of international seats in July 2013. However, it is important to note that in terms of total international seat capacity, which measures the total number of seats available to and from a specific country, Tunisia is still only the ninth largest Mediterranean holiday destination.
“At the other end of the scale, the 4% decrease in capacity to and from Cyprus isn’t too surprising, given the economic and political uncertainty in the country. The slight decrease in international seats to and from Italy reflects the difficult economic situation facing Italian carriers.”
Spain retains top spot
While its growth of just 4% year-on-year suggests that the Spanish market is approaching the point of saturation, it remains the largest Mediterranean holiday destination by total international seat capacity for July 2013, with more than 15 million seats offered by scheduled carriers. Similarly, in Italy, although seats to and from the country have decreased year-on-year, it is still the second largest Mediterranean holiday destination in July 2013.
Top 10 Mediterranean holiday destinations for July 2013, as measured by total international seat capacity:
1. Spain (15.9m seats)
2. Italy (10.7m seats)
3. Turkey (7.1m seats)
4. Greece (3.8m seats)
5. Portugal (3.3m seats)
6. Egypt (2.9m seats)
7. Morocco (1.9m seats)
8. Israel (1.4m seats)
9. Tunisia (1.2m seats)
10. Cyprus (1.2m seats)
Grant continues: “With more than 5 million more international seats than second-placed Italy, Spain looks set to remain the most popular Mediterranean holiday destination for some time to come. Much of the inbound tourism for the month of July can be attributed to the UK and German markets, which account for 29% and 17% of international seats respectively.
“Perhaps most surprising is the resilience being displayed by the Greek market, which is the fourth most popular Mediterranean holiday destination for July 2013 and has seen more than 250,000 international seats added compared to July 2012. In spite of the country’s economic and political problems, holidaymakers have remained loyal to Greece, contributing to average annual growth in international seat capacity of 6% since 2008.”
