According to the latest World Tourism Barometer released by the United Nations Tourism Organization, in the first nine months of 2024, the number of international tourists and the amount of international tourists’ spending both grew rapidly, and the global tourism industry is expected to usher in a full recovery by the end of this year. According to data provided by the United Nations Tourism Organization, driven by the strong performance of large global source markets, the continued recovery of tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, enhanced air connectivity and visa facilitation, in the first nine months of 2024, international tourists traveled 1.1 billion times, recovering to 98% of the pre-pandemic level; 60 of the world’s 111 tourist destinations have exceeded the same period in 2019. The United Nations Tourism Organization predicts that the number of international tourists in 2024 will fully reach the level of 2019.
Global Tourism Recovery
The tourism industry in the Middle East, Europe and Africa has performed outstandingly. The latest data from the World Tourism Organization shows that the Middle East has the strongest relative growth. In 2023, the Middle East will become the first region in the world to restore the number of people before the epidemic, with the number of international tourists 22% higher than the pre-epidemic level. In the first quarter of 2024, the number of international tourists was 36% higher than the pre-COVID-19 level and 4% higher than the first quarter of 2023. It is reported that the number of international tourists in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries increased significantly in 2023, up 28.9% from 2019. In particular, Qatar, which has recovered the most, saw a 90% increase in the number of tourists in 2023 compared with 2019; at the same time, the number of tourists in Saudi Arabia increased by 56% compared with 2019. Data released by the Saudi Central Bank in January showed that Saudi Arabia’s tourism revenue in the first three quarters of 2023 set a new record, exceeding 100 billion riyals (US$26.66 billion); previously, the Dubai Ministry of Economy and Tourism also released data saying that as early as the first half of 2023, Dubai had received more than 8.5 million tourists, exceeding the pre-pandemic level.
Europe is the world’s largest tourist destination. In the first quarter of this year, the number of international tourists arriving in Europe reached 120 million, 1% higher than the first quarter of 2019. In the first quarter, Africa received 5% more inbound tourists than in the same period in 2019 and 13% more than in the same period in 2023. The Americas almost recovered the number of tourists before the pandemic in the first quarter, reaching 99% of the 2019 level. International tourism in Asia and the Pacific is recovering rapidly, recovering 65% in 2023. The number of tourists in the first quarter of 2024 reached 82% of the pre-pandemic level.
International tourism revenue reached 1.5 trillion US dollars. As an important part of the global economy, the role of tourism recovery in promoting the global economy is self-evident. The latest data from the World Tourism Organization shows the significant impact of the recovery of tourism on the destination economy. In 2023, international tourism revenue reached 1.5 trillion US dollars, which means a full recovery to the pre-pandemic level in nominal terms, but in real terms, after deducting inflation, it recovered 97%. By region, Europe had the highest tourism revenue in 2023, reaching 660 billion US dollars, 7% higher in real terms than before the pandemic. Tourism revenue in the Middle East increased by 33% compared with 2019. The Americas recovered to 96% of pre-pandemic revenue. Africa recovered 95%. Asia and the Pacific region has recovered 78%, a remarkable achievement compared with 65% last year. The recovery of the tourism industry has not only injected new vitality into the world economy, but also provided a large number of jobs in the global job market, making a positive contribution to the sustainable development of the global economy.
Opportunities And Challenges Coexist
Supported by strong demand, increased routes, and continued market recovery, the international tourism industry is expected to fully recover by the end of 2024. The main considerations for optimistic expectations: First, there is still a lot of room for recovery across Asia. The reopening of some source markets and tourist destinations will drive the recovery of the tourism industry in the region and even the world. Second, due to visa facilitation and increased air capacity. Third, visa and travel facilitation measures will promote travel in and around the Middle East and Africa. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries will implement a unified tourist visa similar to the Schengen visa, and take measures to facilitate travel within Africa in Kenya and Rwanda. Fourth, Europe is expected to achieve tourism performance again in 2024. In March this year, Romania and Bulgaria joined the Schengen area, and Paris hosted the Olympic Games in July and August, which will promote the free movement of people. Fifth, strong tourism driven by American tourists, supported by a stronger dollar, will continue to benefit destinations in the Americas and beyond. As in 2023, strong source markets in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East will continue to drive global tourism.
Meanwhile, challenges remain. According to the UNWTO expert panel, multiple economic and geopolitical headwinds continue to pose major challenges to international tourism and confidence levels. The International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook released in April pointed out that although the situation varies from region to region, overall, the global economic recovery is stable and slow. In 2024 and 2025, global economic growth is likely to remain at 3.2%, the same as in 2023, while inflation is expected to decline slowly. Persistent inflation, high interest rates, oil price fluctuations and trade disruptions have led to high transportation and accommodation costs. Due to rising prices and overall economic challenges, tourists are expected to continue to pursue cost-effective and short-distance travel, while extreme temperatures and other weather events may affect the destination choices of many tourists.
Uncertainties brought about by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other growing geopolitical tensions are also important risks facing the international tourism industry. The continued recovery and expansion of international tourism is driving economic growth and employment around the world, and governments need to continue to adapt and strengthen tourism management at the national and local levels to ensure that communities and residents are at the heart of this development. Diversifying the global tourism industry, while promoting more and better education, will be key to building a more resilient and sustainable sector.
