International tourism is on track to return to almost 90% of its pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), around 975 million tourists traveled internationally between January and September 2023, an increase of 38% compared to the same months of 2022.
The brand new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer also shows:
- Global destinations welcome 22% more international tourists in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, reflecting a strong summer season in the Northern Hemisphere.
- International tourist arrivals reached 91% of pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter, reaching 92% in July, the best month since the start of the pandemic.
- Overall, tourism has picked up 87% of pre-pandemic levels in January-September 2023. This puts the sector on track to recover almost 90% by the end of the year.
- International tourism revenue could reach 1.4 trillion dollars in 2023or approximately 93% of the $1.5 trillion earned by destinations in 2019.
The latest UNWTO data shows that international tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, with many destinations reaching or even surpassing pre-pandemic arrivals and revenues.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The latest UNWTO data shows that international tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, with many destinations reaching or even surpassing , arrivals and receipts before the pandemic. , and communities where the sector is a major lifeline.
Middle East, Europe and Africa lead recovery
- THE Middle East continues to lead the recovery by region in relative terms, with arrivals 20% above pre-pandemic levels in the nine months through September 2023. The Middle East remains the only region in the world to exceed pre-pandemic levels. 2019 over this period. Visa facilitation measures, the development of new destinations, investments in new tourism-related projects and the hosting of major events contribute to supporting this remarkable performance.
- Europe, the world's largest destination region, welcomed 550 million international tourists over the period, or 56% of the global total. This represents 94% of pre-pandemic levels. The rebound was supported by robust intra-regional demand as well as strong demand from the United States.
- Africa recovered 92% of pre-pandemic visitors over this nine-month period, and arrivals in Americas reached 88% of 2019 figures over this period, as the region benefited from strong US demand, particularly to Caribbean destinations.
- Asia and the Pacific reached 62% of pre-pandemic levels this period due to a slower reopening to international travel. However, performance between subregions is mixed, with South Asia having returned to 95% of its pre-pandemic levels, but Northeast Asia only around 50%.
International tourist arrivals (% change from 2019)
The Global Tourism Barometer includes more targeted data on regions, as well as sub-regions and individual destinations.
High tourist spending
Strong demand for outbound travel was reported by several major source markets during this period, with many exceeding 2019 levels. Germany and the United States spent 13% and 11%, respectively. more on foreign travel than in the same nine months of 2019, while Italy spent 16% more through August.
The sustained recovery is also reflected in the performance of sector indicators. Drawing on data from IATA (the International Air Transport Association) and STR, the UNWTO Tourism Recovery Monitoring details a strong recovery in the number of air passengers and occupancy levels of tourist accommodation.
Against this backdrop, international tourism is on track to fully return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, despite economic challenges such as high inflation and lower global production, as well as significant geopolitical tensions and conflicts .
