Middle East leads post-pandemic global tourism recovery
Global tourism to end 2023 close to 90% of pre-pandemic levels
International tourism is set to recover almost 90% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023, with the Middle East, Europe and Africa leading the recovery.
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, the Middle East continues to lead the recovery by regions in relative terms, with arrivals 20% above pre-pandemic levels in the nine months through September 2023.
The Middle East remains the only world region to surpass 2019 levels this period. Visa facilitation measures, the development of new destinations, investments in new tourism-related projects and hosting significant events help underpin this remarkable performance.
975 million global tourists
As per the latest UNWTO data, an estimated 975 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September 2023, an increase of 38% in the same months of 2022.
According to the latest World Tourism Barometer, global destinations welcomed 22% more international tourists in Q3 2023 compared to the same period last year, reflecting a robust Northern Hemisphere summer season, even as international tourism receipts could reach AED5.15 trillion ($1.4 trillion) in 2023, about 93% of the AED5.52 trillion ($1.5 trillion) earned by destinations in 2019.
International tourist arrivals also hit 91% of pre-pandemic levels in Q3 2023, reaching 92% in July, the best month since the pandemic’s start.
According to the newest World Tourism Barometer, tourism recovered 87% of pre-pandemic levels in January-September 2023. That puts the sector on course to recover almost 90% by the end of 2023.
Critical sector
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The latest UNWTO data shows that international tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented crisis of Covid-19 with many destinations reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic arrivals and receipts. This is critical for destinations, businesses, and communities where the sector is a major lifeline.”
Europe, the world’s largest destination region, welcomed 550 million international tourists in the nine months through September 2023, 56% of the global total. That represents 94% of pre-pandemic levels. The rebound was supported by robust intra-regional demand and strong demand from the United States.
Africa recovered 92% of pre-pandemic visitors in the nine months through September 2023, and arrivals in the Americas reached 88% of 2019 numbers this period, as the region benefitted from strong US demand, particularly to Caribbean destinations.
Asia and the Pacific reached 62% of pre-pandemic levels in the nine months through September 2023 due to slower reopening to international travel. However, performance among subregions is mixed, with South Asia recovering 95% of pre-pandemic levels but North-East Asia only about 50%.
Several large source markets reported strong demand for outbound travel this period, with many exceeding 2019 levels. Germany and the United States spent 13% and 11% more on outbound 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 industry indicators. Drawing on data from IATA (the International Air Transport Association) and STR, the UNWTO Tourism Recovery Tracker details a strong recovery in air passenger numbers and tourist accommodation occupancy levels.
Against this backdrop, international tourism is well on track to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024 despite economic challenges such as high inflation and weaker global output, as well as critical geopolitical tensions and conflicts, the UNWTO concludes.
Featured image: Ticket kiosk for tourist cruises out of Boston Harbour, Massachusetts, US. The global tourism sector will recover almost 90% by the end of 2023. Image: Arnold Pinto
