Global tourism on track to return to pre-pandemic levels, says UN

With twice as many people travelling during the first quarter of 2023 in the same period last year, international tourism is well on its way to returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

According to the most recent figures from UNWTO, as many as 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months of this year, an increase of 80 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.

“The tourism sector has shown its resilience. As many as 960 million people travelled abroad last year, representing a recovery to 66 per cent of pre-pandemic figures,” said the UNWTO.

Middle east saw strongest recovery 

According to the UN report, the Middle East saw the strongest recovery and was the only region that exceeded its 2019 arrivals (+15 per cent). It was also the first region to recover to pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter.

Europe reached 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand. Meanwhile, Africa and the Americas were at 88 per cent and 85 per cent of their 2019 levels, respectively, the report added.

Asia and the Pacific accelerated its recovery to 54 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, the UN agency said, adding that the upward trend is set to accelerate now that most destinations, including China, have reopened.

“The start of the year has shown again tourism’s unique ability to bounce back. In many places, we are close to or even above pre-pandemic levels of arrivals,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Pololikashvili, however, said people should remain alert to challenges ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages, and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism.

“We must ensure tourism’s return delivers on its responsibilities as a solution to the climate emergency and as a driver of inclusive development,” he added.

The report highlighted that international tourism receipts hit the $1 trillion mark in 2022, growing 50 per cent in real terms compared to 2021, driven by the rebound in international travel.

Global visitor spending reached 64 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, it added.

Chinese tourists set to return

UNWTO foresees the recovery to continue throughout 2023 even as the sector faces up to economic, health and geopolitical challenges.

The lifting of COVID-19 related travel restrictions in China, the world’s largest outbound market in 2019, is a significant step for the recovery of the tourism sector in Asia and the Pacific and worldwide.

In the short term, the resumption of travel from China is likely to benefit Asian destinations in particular.

However, this will be shaped by the availability and cost of air travel, visa regulations and COVID-19 related restrictions in the destinations, the report added.

COVID-19 no longer a health emergency

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Covid-19 is no longer a “global health emergency”. The announcement, which came three years after it initially raised its highest level of warning over the virus, came as a significant step towards putting an end to the pandemic.

As of 24 April, slightly over 3,500 people had died from the illness, down from a peak of more than 100,000 per week in January 2021, according to officials.

According to the WHO director, the epidemic claimed at least seven million lives worldwide.

With inputs from agencies

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