International tourism is recovering strongly and is close to pre-pandemic levels

Tourism in the stone town of Zanzibar has stagnated

International tourism has recovered to 96 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of this year, according to a new report released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization on Thursday. This recovery was mainly driven by strong demand in Europe and the reopening of markets in the Asia-Pacific region.  

The report, titled World Tourism Barometer, shows that from January to July 2024, there will be about 790 million international tourists, up about 11% from 2023 and only 4% lower than in 2019.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that despite many economic and geopolitical challenges, international tourism is fully recovering from the biggest crisis in the history of the sector. The continued rebound in the sector highlights the benefits of strong demand for international travel, strengthened air links, and the easing of visa restrictions. He also stressed that the planning and management of tourism must take into account its impact on communities and ensure that the significant socio-economic benefits are complemented by inclusive and sustainable policies.

The Middle East continues to lead the recovery

The data shows that relative growth is strongest in the Middle East, with international tourist arrivals up 26% in the first seven months of the year compared to 2019 levels.

Inbound tourists to Africa increased by 7% compared to the same period in 2019. Tourist arrivals in Europe and the Americas reached 99% and 97% of pre-pandemic levels, respectively. Tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific reached 82% of pre-pandemic levels (down 18% compared to 2019), 85% in June and 86% in July.

In the first half of 2024, a total of 67 of the world's 120 destinations will see international visitor numbers recover to 2019 levels. The number of tourists has increased significantly in several countries, such as Qatar (up 147% from 2019) and Albania (up 93%); and El Salvador (up 81%).

Tourism revenues have grown significantly

In terms of international tourism revenues, at least 47 countries have recovered to pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2024, with many countries seeing strong double-digit growth in real terms and local currency terms compared to 2019. The strongest growth was in Albania (128%) and Serbia (126%). Tajikistan, Pakistan, North Macedonia, North Macedonia and Portugal also grew by more than 60 percent. Data for the first quarter showed exceptional growth in individual countries, such as Saudi Arabia (up 207%) and El Salvador (up 168%), compared to the same period in 2019.

International tourism spending data shows strong outbound travel demand from January to July 2024 compared to the same period in 2019, especially in large source markets such as United States (up 32%), Germany (up 38%) and United Kingdom (up 40% as of March). Notably, India's outbound spending has increased significantly, with an 86% year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2019.

Revised figures for 2023 show that export earnings from international tourism (including passenger traffic) reached $1.8 trillion, almost the same as before the pandemic (actually down only 1% from 2019). Direct GDP for tourism also returns to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and is expected to reach $3.4 trillion, or 3% of global GDP. And in 2019, tourism directly contributed 4% of global GDP.

Challenges remain

Experts noted that the main challenges currently facing the tourism industry include inflation in travel and tourism, high transport and accommodation prices, the global economic situation, staff score from May to August (0-200, with 100 indicating a flat expected performance), some 47% of travel experts who participated in the confidence survey still believe that the sector will perform better in the last four months of 2024.