International tourism triumph, surging to 90% of Pre-Pandemic peaks by 2023’s Close

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of the UNWTO, highlighted that the most recent UNWTO data indicates a nearly complete recovery of international tourism from the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. Many destinations have not only reached but surpassed pre-pandemic levels in terms of arrivals and receipts. This resurgence is particularly crucial for destinations, businesses, and communities that heavily rely on the tourism sector.

In terms of regional recovery, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa are leading the way. The Middle East, in relative terms, has outperformed other regions, experiencing a 20% increase in arrivals compared to pre-pandemic levels during the nine months leading up to September 2023. Remarkably, the Middle East is the only world region to surpass 2019 levels in this period, attributed to measures like visa facilitation, the development of new destinations, investments in tourism projects, and hosting large events.

Europe, as the world’s largest destination region, welcomed 550 million international tourists, constituting 56% of the global total. This represents 94% of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand and robust interest from the United States. Africa recovered 92% of pre-pandemic visitors during this period, while the Americas reached 88% of 2019 numbers, fueled by strong demand from the United States, particularly for Caribbean destinations. In Asia and the Pacific, reaching 62% of pre-pandemic levels was impacted by a slower reopening to international travel, with South Asia recovering 95% but North-East Asia lagging at around 50%.

The period also saw robust tourism spending, with several major source markets surpassing 2019 levels. Germany and the United States, for instance, increased outbound travel spending by 13% and 11%, respectively, compared to the same nine months in 2019. Italy recorded a 16% increase through August.

The sustained recovery is further evidenced by industry indicators, including strong growth in air passenger numbers and tourist accommodation occupancy levels, as reported by IATA and STR. Despite economic challenges such as high inflation, weaker global output, and geopolitical tensions, international tourism is on a trajectory to fully recover pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

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