Following a stronger than expected recovery for international tourism in 2022, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is predicting that visitor arrival numbers could return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions this year.
International Tourism’s 2022 Performance
Based on new UNWTO data, more than 900 million tourists traveled internationally in 2022, marking double the number recorded in 2021. Despite this progress, the number still only represents 63% of pre-pandemic global tourism levels.
Top-performing regions last year include the Middle East, which saw arrivals climb to 83% of its pre-pandemic numbers, and Europe, which recovered to 80% of its pre-COVID-19 levels. Slower progress was seen in Africa and the Americas, which both recovered about 65% of their visitors. In Asia and the Pacific, stronger restrictions resulted in gains of only 23%.
What Will International Travel Look Like in 2023?
This year, UNWTO’s forward-looking scenarios indicate that total international tourist arrivals around the world could reach 80-95% of pre-pandemic levels, depending on factors including the economic slowdown, the ongoing return of travel to Asia and the Pacific, and the continued Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Optimism for the year ahead is being boosted in part by the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions in China, which was the world’s largest outbound tourism market in 2019. In the short-term, this is expected to benefit Asian destinations in particular.
Another positive sign for the industry is strong demand for travel among Americans, who are backed by a strong U.S. dollar. Europe, especially, is expected to continue to be popular for U.S. travelers, thanks in part to a weaker euro compared to the U.S. dollar.
Strong 2022 performances by subregions and individual destinations also support the prediction that some areas will return to — or even exceed — 2019 arrival numbers. Western Europe and the Caribbean, for instance, came close to pre-pandemic levels last year, reaching 87% and 84%, respectively. Destinations that reported arrivals exceeding their 2019 numbers include the U.S. Virgin Islands (+27%), Albania (+17%), Honduras (+17%), Sint Maarten (+15%), the Dominican Republic (+10%), El Salvador (+7%), Curacao (+6%), Colombia (+5%) and more.
