According to UN Tourism, more than 285 million tourists
travelled internationally in January-March, about 20% more than the first
quarter of 2023, underscoring the sector’s near-complete recovery from the
impacts of the pandemic.
In 2023 international tourist arrivals recovered 89% of 2019
levels and export revenues from tourism 96%, while direct tourism GDP reached
the same levels as in 2019.
UN Tourism’s projection for 2024 points to a full recovery
of international tourism with arrivals growing 2% above 2019 levels. In line
with this, the newest data released by the UN specialized agency for tourism
show that:
• The Middle East saw the strongest relative growth, with
international arrivals exceeding by 36% pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024, or 4%
above Q1 2023. This follows an extraordinary performance in 2023, when the
Middle East became the first world region to recover pre-pandemic numbers
(+22%).
• Europe, the world’s largest destination region, exceeded
pre-pandemic levels in a quarter for the first time (+1% from Q1 2019). The
region recorded 120 million international tourists in the first three months of
the year, backed by robust intra-regional demand.
• Africa welcomed 5% more arrivals in the first quarter of
2024 than in Q1 2019, and 13% more than in Q1 2023.
• The Americas practically recovered pre-pandemic numbers
this first quarter, with arrivals reaching 99% of 2019 levels.
• International tourism is experiencing a rapid recovery in
Asia and the Pacific where arrivals reached 82% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1
2024, after recovering 65% in the year 2023.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The
recovery of the sector is very welcome news for our economies and the
livelihoods of millions.
Yet it also recalls the need to ensure adequate tourism
policies and destination management, aiming to advance sustainability and
inclusion, while addressing the externalities and impact of the sector on
resources and communities”.
By subregions, North Africa saw the strongest performance in
Q1 2024 with 23% more international arrivals than before the pandemic, followed
by Central America (+15%), the Caribbean and Western Europe (both +7%).
Southern Mediterranean Europe exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 1%, while South
America virtually reached 2019 levels. Northern Europe recovered 98% of
pre-pandemic levels, while Subsaharan Africa and North America both recovered
95%.
According to available data, many destinations across the
world continued to achieve strong results in Q1 2024, including Qatar (+177%
versus Q1 2019), Albania (+121%), Saudi Arabia (+98%), El Salvador (+90%),
Tanzania (+53%), Curaçao (+45%), Serbia (+43%), Turks and Caicos (+42%),
Guatemala (+41%) and Bulgaria (+38%).
The robust performance of international tourism can also be
seen in the UN Tourism Confidence Index which reached 130 points (on a scale of
0 to 200) for the period January-April, above the expectations (122) expressed
for this period in mid-January.
Receipts
International tourism receipts reached USD 1.5 trillion in
2023, meaning a complete recovery of pre-pandemic levels in nominal terms, but
97% in real terms, adjusting for inflation.
By regions, Europe generated the highest receipts in 2023,
with destinations earning USD 660 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 7%
in real terms. Receipts in the Middle East climbed 33% above 2019 levels. The
Americas recovered 96% of its pre-pandemic earnings in 2023 and Africa 95%.
Asia and the Pacific earned 78% of its pre-crisis receipts, a remarkable result
when compared to its 65% recovery in arrivals last year.
Total export revenues from international tourism, including
both receipts and passenger transport, reached USD 1.7 trillion in 2023, about
96% of pre-pandemic levels in real terms. Tourism direct GDP recovered
pre-pandemic levels, reaching an estimated USD 3.3 trillion in 2023, equivalent
to 3% of global GDP.
Several destinations achieved remarkable results in terms of
receipts in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to 2019 levels based on
available data, including Serbia (+127%), Türkiye (+82%), Pakistan (+72%),
Tanzania (+62%), Portugal (+61%), Romania (+57%), Japan (+53%), Mongolia
(+50%), Mauritius (+46%) and Morocco (+44%).
Looking ahead to a full recovery globally in 2024
International tourism is expected to recover completely in
2024 backed by strong demand, enhanced air connectivity and the continued
recovery of China and other major Asian markets.
The latest UN Tourism Confidence Index shows positive
prospects for the upcoming summer season, with a score of 130 for the period
May-August 2024 (on a scale of 0 to 200), reflecting more upbeat sentiment than
earlier this year. Some 62% of tourism experts participating in the Confidence
survey expressed better (53%) or much better (9%) expectations for this 4-month
period, covering the Northern Hemisphere summer season, while 31% foresee
similar performance as in 2023.
Challenges remain
According to the UN Tourism Panel of Experts, economic and
geopolitical headwinds continue to pose significant challenges to international
tourism and confidence levels.
IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook (April 2024) points to a
steady but slow economic recovery, though mixed by region. At the same time,
persisting inflation, high interest rates, volatile oil prices and disruptions
to trade continue to translate into high transport and accommodations costs.
Tourists are expected to continue to seek value for money
and travel closer to home in response to elevated prices and the overall
economic challenges, while extreme temperatures and other weather events could
impact the destination choice of many travellers. This is increasingly
mentioned by the UN Tourism Panel of Experts as a concern for the sector.
Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against
Ukraine, the Hamas-Israel conflict and other mounting geopolitical tensions,
are also important downside risks for international tourism.
As international tourism continues to recover and expand,
fuelling economic growth and employment around the world, governments will need
to continue adapting and enhancing their management of tourism at the national
and local level to ensure communities and residents are at the center of this
development.
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