Tourism in Europe, the world’s most visited region, increased by 94 percent in 2019. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that international tourism numbers are set to bounce back to pre-Covid pandemic levels in 2024.
As a result of an expected resurgence in Asia, international tourism levels will be slightly higher in 2024 than before the pandemic, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported. According to the Madrid-based agency, international tourism will fully recover by 2024, growing by 2.0 percent over 2019 levels.
Last year, 1.3 billion tourists travelled abroad, 44 percent more than in 2022 and 88 percent more than in 2019.
UNTWO noted “stronger recovery in Asian markets” but noted that the Middle East was “the only region to reach pre-pandemic levels with arrivals 22 percent higher than in 2019”.
Tourism in Europe, the world’s most visited region, reached 94 percent of its 2019 figures, while tourism in Africa reached 96 percent.
With only 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels, the Asia-Pacific region was the weakest, despite China lifting its health restrictions last year following a strict three-year zero-Covid strategy.
Tourism’s resilience and rapid recovery are underscored by the latest UNWTO data, with pre-pandemic numbers expected by the end of 2024,” its Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.
In November, Beijing will offer visa-free travel to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.
In addition to the Israeli-Hamas conflict and the unsettled global economy, the prediction for 2024 “remains subject to the pace of recovery in Asia.”
It warns that inflation, high interest rates, volatile oil prices, and disruptions to trade will continue to impact transport and accommodations costs in 2024.
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