UN Agency Predicts Global Tourism Will Rebound to Pre-Pandemic Numbers
According to the United Nations tourism agency, approximately 1.1 billion tourists traveled internationally in the first nine months of 2024, bringing international tourism to 98 percent of pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels recorded in 2019.
TroibNews 
Around 1.1 billion tourists traveled internationally in the first nine months of 2024, representing 98 percent of the figures recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, as reported by the United Nations tourism agency.
In its Tourism Barometer report released on Wednesday, the Madrid-based organization indicated that a "full recovery" is anticipated by the end of the year.
The increase in international tourist arrivals was largely fueled by strong post-pandemic demand in Europe, robust performance from key global source markets, and the ongoing recovery of destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Noteworthy gains in tourist arrivals have been observed in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, which have all surpassed 2019 levels, with increases of 29 percent, 1 percent, and 6 percent, respectively.
By September 2024, international tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region had reached 85 percent of 2019 levels, showing significant improvement from 2023, when recovery was only at 66 percent. The Americas attained 97 percent of the 2019 figure.
The rise in international arrivals has been complemented by a surge in tourism revenue during the first three quarters of 2024.
Out of 43 countries with available data on receipts, 35 reported exceeding pre-pandemic values in the first eight to nine months of 2024, with many achieving double-digit growth compared to 2019.
Spain, the second largest tourist destination globally, experienced a 36 percent increase. Other European highlights include the United Kingdom with a 43 percent rise in earnings, France at 27 percent, and Italy at 26 percent.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili commented: "The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world."
He emphasized the positive effects of the tourism recovery on local economies, noting: "The fact that visitor spending is growing even stronger than arrivals has a direct impact on millions of jobs and small businesses, and contributes decisively to the balance of payments and tax revenues of many economies."
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
In its Tourism Barometer report released on Wednesday, the Madrid-based organization indicated that a "full recovery" is anticipated by the end of the year.
The increase in international tourist arrivals was largely fueled by strong post-pandemic demand in Europe, robust performance from key global source markets, and the ongoing recovery of destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Noteworthy gains in tourist arrivals have been observed in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, which have all surpassed 2019 levels, with increases of 29 percent, 1 percent, and 6 percent, respectively.
By September 2024, international tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region had reached 85 percent of 2019 levels, showing significant improvement from 2023, when recovery was only at 66 percent. The Americas attained 97 percent of the 2019 figure.
The rise in international arrivals has been complemented by a surge in tourism revenue during the first three quarters of 2024.
Out of 43 countries with available data on receipts, 35 reported exceeding pre-pandemic values in the first eight to nine months of 2024, with many achieving double-digit growth compared to 2019.
Spain, the second largest tourist destination globally, experienced a 36 percent increase. Other European highlights include the United Kingdom with a 43 percent rise in earnings, France at 27 percent, and Italy at 26 percent.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili commented: "The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world."
He emphasized the positive effects of the tourism recovery on local economies, noting: "The fact that visitor spending is growing even stronger than arrivals has a direct impact on millions of jobs and small businesses, and contributes decisively to the balance of payments and tax revenues of many economies."
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
