In the first seven months of 2024, some 790 million people traveled internationally, marking an 11 percent increase from 2023 and just four percent below 2019 figures.
This revival brought international tourism back to 96 percent of levels before the pandemic, driven by strong European demand and the reopening of Asian and Pacific markets.
Enhanced air connectivity and easier visa processes have significantly supported this recovery, with all global regions reporting strong performance, VisaGuide.World reports.
International tourism is on track to consolidate its full recovery from the biggest crisis in the sector’s history. The ongoing rebound comes despite a range of economic and geopolitical challenges, highlighting the strong demand for international travel as well as the effectiveness of boosting air connections and easing visa restrictions.
According to a recent report by the World Tourism Barometer by UN Tourism, the Middle East emerged as the fastest-growing area, with international arrivals soaring by 26 percent compared to 2019. Africa also experienced a positive trend, welcoming seven percent more visitors than during the same period in 2019.
Europe & the Americas Near Pre-Pandemic Levels
UN Tourism data further revealed that Europe and the Americas also nearly returned to pre-pandemic numbers, achieving 99 percent and 97 percent recovery rates, respectively.
Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific recorded 82 percent of their pre-pandemic visitor counts, reaching 85 percent in June and 86 percent in July.
Notably, 67 out of 120 global destinations have returned to 2019 arrival figures in the first half of 2024, based on monthly and quarterly reports. Leading performers from January to July 2024 included these destinations as follows:
- Qatar (147 percent)
- Albania (+93 percent)
- El Salvador (+81 percent)
- Saudi Arabia (+73 percent)
- Moldova (+50 percent)
- Tanzania (+49 percent)
Moreover, revised figures for 2023 show that international tourism generated approximately $1.8 trillion in export earnings, roughly in line with pre-pandemic levels (a slight decline of one per cent in real terms from 2019).
Furthermore, tourism’s direct contribution to global GDP rebounded to around $3.4 trillion in 2023, representing three percent of the total, compared to four percent in 2019.
As UN Tourism points out, some 47 percent of tourism professionals surveyed predict improved performance in the last four months of the year, while 41 percent expect stability and 11 percent predict a decline, suggesting a gradual stabilization of tourism trends after a strong 2023.