MADRID, SPAIN – The World Tourism Barometer published its second report of the year, which showed that international tourism is making a strong comeback to pre-pandemic levels.
During the first quarter of 2023, twice as many people traveled internationally than in the same period of 2022, with a total of 235 million estimated tourists.
The report also revealed that international arrivals have reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023.
Furthermore, revised data for 2022 demonstrates that tourism has been resilient in the face of the pandemic, with over 960 million tourists traveling internationally last year, reaching 66 percent of pre-pandemic numbers.
The Middle East was the only region to exceed 2019 arrivals with a 15 percent increase and it was also the first to recover pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter.
Europe reached 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand, while Asia and the Pacific accelerated its recovery with 54 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
The trend is expected to rise further now that most destinations, particularly China, have reopened.
The UNWTO data also analyses recovery by sub-region and by destination.
Southern Mediterranean Europe and North Africa have also recovered pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, while Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central America and the Caribbean all came close to reaching those levels.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said, “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.”
He said, “However, we must remain alert to challenges ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism.”
He added, “We must ensure tourism’s return delivers on its responsibilities as a solution to the climate emergency and as a driver of inclusive development.”
International tourism receipts grew back to hit the US$1 trillion mark in 2022, growing 50 percent in real terms compared to 2021, driven by the important rebound in international travel.
International visitor spending reached 64 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
By regions, Europe enjoyed the best results in 2022 with nearly US$550 billion in tourism receipts (EUR 520 billion), or 87 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Africa recovered 75 percent of its pre-pandemic receipts, the Middle East 70 percent and the Americas 68 percent.
Due to prolonged border shutdowns, Asian destinations earned about 28 percent.
The Q1 2023 results are in line with UNWTO’s forward-looking scenarios for the year which project international arrivals to recover 80 percent to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
UNWTO’s Panel of Experts expressed their confidence in a strong peak season (May-August) in the Northern Hemisphere.
This was reflected in the latest UNWTO Confidence Index which indicates performance for the period is on track to be even better than 2022.
However, tourism’s recovery also faces some challenges.
According to the Panel of Experts, the economic situation remains the main factor weighing on the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices translating into higher transport and accommodations costs.
As a result, tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home.
Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine and other mounting geopolitical tensions, also continue to represent downside risks.