Mabrian, a leading tourism intelligence company, has released data on the top 10 countries with the best international air connectivity during the first half of 2024. This ranking reflects the outbound travel potential of these nations, positioning them as key targets in the global travel landscape.
The analysis, based on flight schedules, reveals a significant evolution in the connectivity landscape. The study covers travel dates from January 1 to June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

Within the realm of geographic markets, a notable advancement in connectivity between Europe and China stands out. Specifically, European countries such as Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, which all no longer require a tourist visa for travel to China, are experiencing a remarkable increase in connectivity, collectively offering 1.98 million air seats. This marks an impressive 190% increase compared to the first half of 2023 (when it was only 682,000 seats). This surge is supported by a recent measure announced by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to encourage the return of European tourism. It allows citizens of Spain and four other European Union countries
to enter China without a visa for stays of up to 15 days.

Top 10 countries with the best international connectivity:

United States: 83,540,022 seats

United Kingdom: 72,806,356 seats

Germany: 53,650,569 seats

Spain: 53,402,095 seats

United Arab Emirates: 41,829,422 seats

France: 41,148,774 seats

Italy: 39,233,697 seats

China: 35,125,071 seats

Turkey: 32,514,540 seats

Japan: 28,851,733 seats

The total air seats for these 10 countries amount to 482,102,279, contributing to 42% of the global international air seats in the first half of the year.

Carlos Cendra, CMO at Mabrian, comments on the importance of this information: “Anticipating the potential of origin markets regarding their outbound air connectivity is a key factor in identifying where tourist demand will be and the most relevant opportunities for global destinations and tourism companies. However, it is essential to analyze each destination specifically”.

Gavin Eccles, director of GE Consulting, a company specialized in air connectivity, comments that “US carriers are once again heavily investing in their international strategy, leading to a notable increase in seats across the Atlantic for Europe. The robust outbound markets of the UK and Germany are also experiencing significant growth in seats and connections as they recover strongly from the pandemic. The resurgence of China with a substantial number of routes and seats is promising, and if this growth continues, 2024 could surpass 2019 as the year with the highest international connections. Additionally, the influence of Emirates and Etihad is evident in the considerable international seats offered through the UAE, highlighting Dubai and Abu Dhabi as global hubs facilitating travel to and through the region”.