Global tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024
In 2024, levels of international tourism will be slightly higher than before the pandemic, thanks to the expected revival of tourism in Asia, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) announced to the United Nations (WTO), reported AFP.
"International tourism is expected to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with initial estimates pointing to 2.0% growth over 2019 levels," the Madrid-based agency said in a statement.
Last year's data showed 1.3 billion tourists traveled abroad, up 44% from 2022 and 88% from 2019.
The WTO highlighted the "stronger recovery in Asian markets", but noted that the biggest growth was in the Middle East, which was "the only region to overcome pre-pandemic levels, with 22% more arrivals than in 2019".
Europe, the world's most visited region, also performed strongly, with tourists reaching 94% of 2019 figures and those to Africa at 96%.
In relative terms, the Asia-Pacific region was the weakest, at just 65% of pre-pandemic levels, although China lifted health restrictions a year ago after a strict three-year strategy to reduce Covid infections as it cut itself off from the world.
"The latest WTO data highlight the sustainability of tourism and its rapid recovery, with pre-pandemic values expected by the end of 2024," said the secretary general of the organization Zurab Pololikashvili.
Chinese tourism was expected to pick up speed this year, with Beijing offering visa-free travel to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia until the end of November.
However, the forecast for 2024 "remains dependent on the pace of recovery in Asia and the development of existing economic and geopolitical risks", mainly due to the war between Israel and Hamas and the uncertain global economy.
"Continued inflation, high interest rates, volatile oil prices and trade disruptions could continue to weigh on transport and accommodation costs in 2024," he warned. /BGNES
