Madrid, Spain — The Middle East has emerged as the fastest-growing region for international tourism, surpassing pre-pandemic figures by 26 percent in the first seven months of 2024, according to the latest data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Globally, international tourism reached 96 percent of pre-pandemic levels during the same period, with around 790 million tourists, an 11 percent increase over 2023.
While Europe and the Americas have nearly returned to 2019 levels—recovering 99 percent and 97 percent of their tourist volumes respectively—the Middle East’s growth outpaces all other regions. Africa also posted a 7 percent rise compared to 2019, while the Asia-Pacific region, still catching up due to extended lockdowns, reached 86 percent of its pre-pandemic tourist numbers by July 2024.
UNWTO’s data reveals that 67 out of 120 reporting destinations have fully recovered to their 2019 tourism levels in the first half of 2024. Though global tourism saw a slight slowdown in the second quarter, the year started strong, aligning with UNWTO forecasts for a full recovery by year-end, despite hurdles like rising travel costs, economic uncertainty, and extreme weather events.
In terms of tourism revenue, 47 out of 63 countries with available data reported a return to pre-pandemic earnings, with some even experiencing double-digit growth. The UNWTO’s confidence index suggests this positive trend will continue through the end of 2024, as the industry adapts to ongoing challenges like high transport and accommodation prices, labor shortages, and the broader global economic climate.
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UNWTO, emphasized that international tourism is on course for a complete recovery after facing its most significant crisis in history.
