(TAN): The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said that international tourism is well on its way to returning to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people travelling during Q1 2023 than in the same period of 2022.
Overall, international arrivals reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, said UNWTO, citing new data. Around 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months, more than double the same period of 2022. Tourism has continued to show its resilience. Revised data for 2022 shows over 960 million tourists travelling internationally last year, meaning two-thirds (66%) of pre-pandemic numbers were recovered.
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Recovery by Region in Q1 2023:
- The Middle East saw the strongest performance as the only region exceeding 2019 arrivals (+15%) and the first to recover pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter.
- Europe reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand.
- Africa reached 88% and the Americas about 85% of 2019 levels
- Asia and the Pacific accelerated its recovery with 54% of pre-pandemic levels, but this upward trend is set to accelerate now that most destinations, particularly China, have re-opened.
UNWTO data also analyses recovery by sub-region and by destination: Southern Mediterranean Europe and North Africa have also recovered pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, while Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central America and the Caribbean all came close to reaching those levels.
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UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The start of the year has shown again tourism’s unique ability to bounce back. In many places, we are close to or even above pre-pandemic levels of arrivals. However, we must remain alert to challenges ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages, and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism, and we must ensure tourism’s return delivers on its responsibilities as a solution to the climate emergency and as a driver of inclusive development.”
