INTERNATIONAL TOURISM REACHED 98 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with approximately 1.1 billion tourists traveling internationally in the first nine months of 2024, according to the United Nations tourism agency. The Americas recovered 97 percent of pre-pandemic arrivals, down 3 percent from 2019.
In its “World Tourism Barometer” report, the Madrid-based UN Tourism forecast a “full recovery” by year-end despite economic, geopolitical and climate challenges.
International tourist arrivals grew due to strong post-pandemic demand in Europe, solid performance from major source markets and the ongoing recovery of destinations in Asia Pacific, the agency said. Tourist arrivals in the Middle East, Europe and Africa exceeded 2019 levels, with increases of 29 percent, 1 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
By September, international tourist arrivals in the Americas reached 97 percent of 2019 levels, the agency found. The Asia-Pacific region reached 85 percent of 2019 levels, an increase from 66 percent in 2023.
Growth in international arrivals has been accompanied by a rise in tourism revenue in the first three quarters of 2024. In the first eight to nine months of 2024, 35 of 43 countries with available data on receipts surpassed pre-pandemic levels, many reporting double-digit growth compared to 2019.
The U.S., the world’s top tourism earner, reported 7 percent growth through September, UN Tourism said.
Spain, the world’s second-largest tourist destination, saw a 36 percent rise. Other strong performers in Europe include the UK, with a 43 percent growth in earnings, France with 27 percent, and Italy with 26 percent.
“The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, UN Tourism secretary-general. “The fact that visitor spending is growing even more strongly 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 are expected to reach 2019 levels in 2024, while international tourism receipts nearly reached pre-pandemic levels in 2023, the report said. While many destinations exceeded pre-pandemic arrival numbers in 2023 or have done so in 2024, there is still room for recovery in several subregions and destinations.
A slower rebound in parts of North-East Asia and Central Eastern Europe contrasts with strong results across other European subregions, the Middle East, Central America and the Caribbean, where arrivals have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, the UN Tourism found.
Despite strong overall results, the tourism sector faces ongoing economic, geopolitical and climate challenges, the agency said. Inflation in travel, including high transport and accommodation prices, as well as volatile oil prices, remain key issues. Ongoing conflicts and global tensions continue to affect consumer confidence, while extreme weather events and staff shortages also pose significant challenges to tourism performance.
In June, the World Travel & Tourism Council and the UN World Tourism Organization signed an MoU at the G20 Ministerial meeting in Goa to promote global collaboration for job creation, talent development, and business opportunities in the travel and tourism industry.
The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration highlights tourism’s role in promoting sustainable social and economic development. The G20 meeting on Sept. 9 to 10 acknowledged the potential for building a future through development models that ensure sustainable, inclusive and equitable transitions globally, leaving no one behind.
