International Business: Marriott, AirBnB, others see global travel rebounding in 2022 – Gulf Digital News

International Business: Marriott, AirBnB, others see global travel rebounding in 2022 – Gulf Digital News

NEW YORK: Marriott and Hilton, two of the biggest US hotel chains, told investors they expect people to resume packing their bags for business and leisure this year at rates not seen since before the pandemic.

Hotel and other travel-related companies delivered rosy outlooks in this week's quarterly results, citing rising vaccination rates and falling Covid-19 cases in the United States after the winter surge of the Omicron variant.

Countries are also lifting travel restrictions, with Canada set to ease entry for fully vaccinated international travelers starting on Feb. 28.

Marriott International Inc's and Airbnb Inc's latest quarterly results topped Wall Street estimates, while Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc's revenue nearly doubled.

On Tuesday, Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano told investors that group cancellations increased late last year and this year due to Omicron. Now, cancellations have slowed and new group bookings are gaining momentum.

Capuano pointed to a Salesforce meeting in New York City last week as evidence of strong demand for US group bookings as Omicron cases fall. The meeting involved 25,000 room nights across 11 Marriott properties.

Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings said on Tuesday that customers at its Las Vegas resort are "spending again with a vengeance."

"2021 was the recovery year, and 2022