UNWTO: 2023 Tourism Year to Recover Almost 90% of pre-Covid Levels

Photo source: UNWTO

Global tourism levels managed to come close to pre-pandemic 2019 levels in 2023, with stakeholders expecting the new year to further improve recovery.

 According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, some 975 million people travelled between January and September 2023, up by 38 percent over the same months in 2022 boosting recovery to almost 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.

“International tourism is well on track to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024 despite economic challenges such as high inflation and weaker global output, as well as important geopolitical tensions and conflicts,” said the report.

Destinations worldwide welcomed 22 percent more international tourists in the third quarter of 2023 compared to Q3 2022.

Europe welcomed 550 million international tourists in the January-September period or 56 percent of the global total achieving 94 percent of pre-Covid levels. The rebound was supported by strong intra-regional demand as well as robust demand from the US.

At the same time, tourist arrivals recouped 91 percent of pre-pandemic levels in Q3, reaching 92 percent in July, the best month so far since the start of pandemic.

Overall, 87 percent of pre-Covid levels were achieved in January-September 2023.

The UNWTO report goes on to forecast that international travel receipts could reach 1.4 billion dollars in 2023, or 93 percent of 2019’s 1.5 billion dollars.

Report analysts said strong demand for outbound travel was reported by large source markets with many exceeding 2019 levels. Germany and the US spent 13 percent and 11 percent more, respectively, on outbound travel than in the same nine months of 2019, while Italy spent 16 percent more through August.

“International tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented crisis of Covid-19 with many destinations reaching or even exceeding pre-pandemic arrivals and receipts. This is critical for destinations, businesses, and communities where the sector is a major lifeline,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.