According to the latest World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, the travel and tourism sector should see a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by the end of this year. Global tourism already reached 98% of pre-pandemic levels over the first nine months of 2024, with around 1.1 billion tourists traveling internationally.
The report also shows impressive growth in spending, with most destinations (that provided data) posting double-digit increases over 2019.
Our Analysis: Travelers Refuse to Be Deterred
Not only do these latest numbers mean that the travel industry can truly put the pandemic in the rearview, but they also show the resiliency of the sector. This year came with many challenges for tourism, including a U.S. election, ongoing geopolitical conflicts and economic concerns. And yet, none of that deterred travelers in any significant way.
Regions for travel advisors to keep an eye on next year include the Middle East, which saw record growth in the first nine months of 2024 (up 29%, versus 2019); Europe, which is still in high demand (up 1%, compared to 2019); and Africa, which has seen 6% growth over 2019. Asia-Pacific is also increasingly in the mix, continuing its slow-but-steady comeback after a later reopening to international travel, and reaching 85% of 2019 levels (compared to 66% in 2023).
Fast Facts: A Diverse List of Countries Saw the Strongest Visitation and Spending Increases
- A total of 60 out of 111 destinations surpassed their 2019 visitor numbers during the first eight to nine months of this year.
- Some of the strongest individual performers include Qatar (+141%), Albania (+77%), Saudi Arabia (+61%), Curacao (+48%), Tanzania (+43%) and Colombia (+36%).
- Out of 43 countries, 35 exceeded pre-pandemic spending during the first eight to nine months of the year.
- Among the top earners, Japan, Turkey and France all reported double-digit growth in visitor receipts.
- The United States, the world’s top tourism earner, saw spending grow by 7% through September.
What They Are Saying: Tourism Growth Is Good for Global Economies
“The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general for UN Tourism. “The fact that visitor spending is growing even stronger than arrivals has a direct impact on millions of jobs and small businesses and contributes decisively to the balance of payments and tax revenues of many economies.”
