The most recent report presented by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) revealed that tourism across the globe is slowly recovering.

This recovery pertains to the levels that tourism was recorded at before the coronavirus pandemic hit, and restrictions were imposed in numerous countries worldwide.

By the end of July 2023, it was revealed that international tourist arrivals recovered to around 84% of the figure recorded before the pandemic.

UNWTO data

According to the data released, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East have shown the most improvement when it comes to the rebound of the global tourism sector.

Between the months of January and July 2023, no less than 700 million tourists decided to take international trips, marking a surge of 43% in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year.

The UNWTO figures further provided insight into the recovery, revealing that the growth of international tourism peaked in the month of July.

In that month, the overall number of international travelers recorded stood at 145 million and accounted for more than 20% of the total recorded in the seven months of 2023.

In the words of Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of UNWTO, the data is indicative of how tourism is steadily recovering in different parts of the globe.

However, he stressed the importance of various countries adapting to the recovery and ensuring that travelers get their money’s worth.

Recovery

When it comes to the regions of the world that are recovering at a quicker pace than the rest, the Middle East showed the most recovery in tourism in the first seven months of the year.

It is the highest-performing region and is readily returning to pre-pandemic levels of tourism, with its arrivals exceeding the previous figures by 20%.

The UNWTO further pointed out that so far, only the Middle East has managed to exceed tourism levels recorded back in 2019.

Furthermore, Europe has also shown significant improvement in tourism levels, totaling 91% of the numbers recorded before the pandemic.

According to the organization, the progress in Europe was mainly driven by strong regional demand, as well as an increase in the number of passengers from the United States.

Where Africa is concerned, it has made crucial strides in its recovery and regained 92% of pre-crisis traveler numbers in the first seven months of 2023.

Meanwhile, America has managed to recover 87% of the tourism levels it recorded back in 2019.

Moreover, the UNWTO data indicated that Asia and the Pacific have recovered up to 61% of pre-pandemic figures.

As per the authority, this revival was facilitated due to the reopening of various source markets and destinations in the later months of 2022.

The results

UNWTO has stated that the results of its report prove that international tourism will soon reach somewhere between 80 and 95% of the numbers recorded before the pandemic.

It estimates that before the year is out, the recovery will be more gradual, as opposed to the drastic increase recorded between the peak tourism season in the months of June, July, and August.