The Strategist

International tourism recovers 97% of pre-pandemic 2019



05/23/2024 - 06:41



According to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), international tourism rebounded to 97% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the pre-pandemic 2019 period, with over 285 million tourist arrivals globally from January to March, an increase of about 20% compared to the same period in 2023.



Garry Knight
Garry Knight
120 million tourists arrived in Europe in the first quarter of 2019, a 1% increase over the pre-pandemic period. The robust demand for travel within Europe itself drove the region's swift rebound.

In comparison to the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2023, Africa saw a 5% increase in tourists and a 13% increase in visitors in the first quarter of 2024.

From January to March, the Americas' international tourist performance nearly recovered to its pre-pandemic levels, reaching 99% of 2019 levels.

International arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region amounted to 82% of pre-pandemic levels.

The subregions with the biggest increases in foreign arrivals were Western Europe, North Africa (plus 23%), Central America (plus 15%), and the Caribbean (plus 7%).

source: unwto.org