VIDEO02:02 Travel recovery is ending — and a new era of growth is beginning The Americas are close, closing in at 97% (-3%) of international arrivals this year, while Asia-Pacific is at 85% of pre-pandemic levels, as the region continues to bear the brunt of the slow return of Chinese travelers. Epicenter of global growth International travel in Asia-Pacific may be lagging behind today, but it’s expected to be the epicenter of global travel growth in the coming decades. Air passengers are expected to more than double in less than two decades — jumping from 8.69 billion in 2023 to 19.49 billion by 2042, according to Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Middle East. Much of that growth is projected to come from Asia-Pacific. In the next 20 years, the airport trade organization estimates that more than one-third of new flyers will come from three countries: China, India and Indonesia. watch now VIDEO00:37 2024 was a ‘tale of two halves’ for Chinese travel, says Hilton APAC President He told “Squawk Box Asia” that 2024 has been a “tale of two halves” for Chinese travelers. The first half was marked by depressed consumer confidence, Watts said. But increased travel interest in the second half will impact on bookings in Asia-Pacific in 2025 — most notably to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, he said. “But we think it’s going to be 2026 before we see the recovering long-haul China market into the U.S. and into Europe,” he said. In this article MAR UNCH After Hours HLT UNCH After Hours