Global tourism has continued on its growth trajectory as about 1. 1 billion tourists travelled internationally between January and September this year, with the Middle East recording +29% growth compared to 2019) while Africa recorded a +6% growth rate as it exceeded 2019 levels.
With this outstanding performance, the tourism sector is said to have recovered 98% of pre-pandemic levels. This is according to the latest World Tourism Barometer by UN Tourism data. A full recovery from the biggest crisis in the sector’s history is expected by the end of the year, despite economic, geopolitical and climate challenges.
The report also shows outstanding results in terms of international tourism receipts, with most destinations with available data posting double-digit growth compared to 2019.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world. 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.”
This historic performance is said to have been driven by strong post-pandemic demand in Europe and robust performance from large source markets globally, as well as the ongoing recovery of destinations in Asia and the Pacific. Increased air connectivity and visa facilitation also supported international travel.
Regionally, the report noted that the Middle East had +29% compared to 2019) while Europe had +1% and Africa +6%, exceeding 2019 levels. The Americas recovered 97% of its pre-pandemic arrivals with -3% over 2019 as Asia and the Pacific reached 85% of 2019 levels as compared to a 66% recovery in 2023.
Asia and the Pacific have experienced a gradual though uneven rebound in arrivals since the region reopened to international travel in 2023.
The summer season in the Northern Hemisphere was generally strong, with arrivals worldwide reaching 99% of pre-pandemic values in Q3 2024.
Details of the data show that a total of 60 out of 111 destinations surpassed 2019 arrival numbers in the first eight to nine months of 2024. Some of the strongest performers in arrivals during this period were Qatar (+141% versus 2019) where arrivals more than doubled, Albania (+77%), Saudi Arabia (+61%), Curaçao (+48%), Tanzania (+43%), Colombia and Andorra (both +36%).
On the receipt curve, extraordinary growth was recorded as a total of 35 out of 43 countries with available data on receipts exceeded pre-pandemic values in the first eight to nine months of 2024, with many reporting double-digit growth compared to 2019 (in local currencies), well above inflation in most cases.
Among the best performers in terms of earnings were Serbia (+99%) where receipts more than doubled (compared to the same months of 2019), as well as Pakistan (+64%), Romania (+61%), Japan (+59%), Portugal (+51%), Nicaragua and Tanzania (both 50%).
Among the world’s top earners, were Japan (+59%), Türkiye (+41%) and France (+27%) all recorded double-digit growth through September 2024. Spain (+36%) and Italy (+26%) also reported strong visitor receipts, through August.
The United Kingdom recorded 43% higher earnings, Canada 35%, and Australia 18%, all through June 2024. As for the United States, the world’s top tourism earner, it reported 7% growth through September.
Data on international tourism expenditure reflects the same trend, especially among large source markets such as Germany (+35% compared to 2019), the United States (+33%) and France (+11%).
Strong expenditure growth was also reported by the United Kingdom (+46%) Australia (+34%), Canada (+28%) and Italy (+26%), all through June 2024. Available data for India shows a surge in outbound spending from this increasingly important market, with 81% growth through June 2024 (versus 2019).
