International tourism close to 90% of pre-pandemic levels

04-12-23

International tourism is on track to recover nearly 90% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an estimated 975 million tourists traveled internationally between January and September 2023, an increase of 38% over the same months in 2022.

The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer also shows that:

• World destinations received 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 so far since the start of the pandemic.

• Overall, tourism recovered 87% of pre-pandemic levels in January-September 2023. That puts the sector on track to recover nearly 90% by year-end.

• International tourism revenues could reach $1.4 billion in 2023, about 93% of the $1.5 billion earned by destinations in 2019.

The latest UNWTO data show that international tourism has almost fully 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 show that international tourism has almost fully recovered from the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, with many destinations having reached or even surpassed pre-pandemic arrivals and receipts. This is critical for destinations, businesses and communities where the sector is an important lifeline."

The Middle East continues to lead the recovery by region in relative terms, with arrivals 20% above pre-pandemic levels in the nine months to September 2023. The Middle East remains the only region in the world to have surpassed 2019 levels in this period. Visa facilitation measures, the development of new destinations, investment in new tourism-related projects and the hosting of major events help underpin this remarkable performance.

Europe, the world's largest destination region, welcomed 550 million international tourists during the period, 56% of the world total. This figure represents 94% of pre-pandemic levels. The rebound was aided by solid intraregional demand, as well as strong demand from the United States.

Africa regained 92% of pre-pandemic visitors in this nine-month period, and arrivals to the Americas reached 88% of 2019 figures in this period, as the region benefited from strong U.S. demand, particularly to Caribbean destinations.

Asia-Pacific reached 62% of pre-pandemic levels in this period due to slower reopening of international travel. However, results among sub-regions are mixed, with South Asia regaining 95% of pre-pandemic levels, but Northeast Asia only around 50%.

The World Tourism Barometer includes more specific data on regions, as well as subregions and individual destinations.

Several major outbound markets recorded strong outbound tourism demand during this period, with many exceeding 2019 levels. Germany and the United States spent 13% and 11% more, respectively, on outbound tourism 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 industry indicators. Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and STR, UNWTO's Tourism Recovery Tracker details a strong recovery in air passenger numbers and tourist accommodation occupancy levels.

In this context, international tourism is on track to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, despite economic challenges such as high inflation and weak global output, as well as significant geopolitical tensions and conflicts.