International tourism reached 96pc of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2024, according to UN Tourism, with about 790m travellers, marking an 11pc increase compared to 2023 and only 4pc less than in 2019, suggesting a strong recovery trajectory despite economic and geopolitical challenges.
The Middle East led the recovery with a 26pc increase in international arrivals compared to 2019, while Europe and the Americas saw recoveries of 99pc and 97pc, respectively. Asia and the Pacific recorded 82pc of pre-pandemic tourist numbers, with improvements noted in June and July.
Strong tourism receipts were reported, with 47 out of 63 countries recovering pre-pandemic values and many seeing significant growth compared to 2019, particularly Albania and Serbia. This parallels a surge in outbound spending from key markets, including the US and UK, highlighting robust demand.
The UN Tourism Confidence Index indicates positive expectations for the remainder of 2024, with 47pc of experts expecting improved sector performance; however, challenges such as inflation in travel costs, staff shortages, and extreme weather events remain concerns for the industry.
