Tourism on track for full recovery, says UNWTO

International tourism is on its way to returning to pre-Covid 19 levels, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said in its barometer released today. Twice as many people traveled in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

According to the barometer, the sector’s swift recovery has continued into 2023 with international arrivals reaching 80 percent of the pre-pandemic levels. According to the barometer, an estimated 235 million tourists traveled internationally in the first three months, more than double the same period of 2022.

“The start of the year has shown again tourism’s unique ability to bounce back. In many places, we are close to or even above pre-pandemic levels of arrivals,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.

In terms of performance, the Middle East saw the strongest performance as the only region exceeding 2019 arrivals (+15 percent) and the first to recover pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter.

Europe reached 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand; Africa reached 88 percent; the Americas about 85 percent; and Asia and the Pacific reached 54 percent of 2019 levels.

The UNWTO data also analysed recovery by sub-region and by destination: Southern Mediterranean Europe and North Africa have also recovered pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, while Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central America and the Caribbean all came close to reaching those levels.

Despite the positive signs, the UNWTO’s secretary general advised countries to “remain alert to challenges” ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages, and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism

“We must ensure tourism’s return delivers on its responsibilities as a solution to the climate emergency and as a driver of inclusive development,” Pololikashvili said.

However, tourism’s recovery also faces some challenges.  According to the UNWTO Panel of Experts, the economic situation remains the main factor weighing on the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices translating into higher transport and accommodation costs.  As a result, tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home. Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine and other mounting geopolitical tensions, also continue to represent downside risks.