Global tourism has reached 98% of pre-pandemic levels and is set to recover fully by the end of 2024, according to a report by U.N. Tourism.
International tourist arrivals in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa exceeded 2019’s performance in the first nine months of this year. 1.1 billion tourists travelled internationally during this period.
“The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world,” said U.N. Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
“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.”
International tourist arrivals in the Americas have reached 97% of 2019’s levels. The Asia-Pacific is the slowest region to recover, with arrivals at 85% of 2019’s numbers this year.
60 destinations outperformed their 2019 arrival levels in the first nine months of 2024, with Qatar, Albania, Saudi Arabia, and Curaçao leading the pack.
Tourists’ spending levels surpassed 2019 in 35 of 43 countries surveyed. Serbia’s tourism receipts were 99% above 2019’s in the first nine months of this year, with Pakistan and Romania also posting growth above 60%.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia saw increases of 33%, 46%, and 34% in outbound tourism expenditure in the first half of this year. Outbound tourism spending from India surged to 81% above 2019.
According to U.N. Tourism, challenges for the sector include heightened costs of transport and accommodation, which have been affected by inflation. Volatile oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and extreme weather events have also impacted consumer confidence.