A man casts his line into the Bosphorus at Eminonu Ferry Pier in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. International tourist arrivals are set to double in 2022 compared to the previous year and should reach pre-pandemic levels in 2023. travel restrictions, especially in China, the United Nations tourism body said on Tuesday. Image for representational purposes only. , photo credit: Francisco Cecco
International tourist arrivals are set to double in 2022 from the previous year and should return to near pre-pandemic levels in 2023, the UN tourism body said on Tuesday.
The Madrid-based World Tourism Organization said in a report that there were 917 million global tourist arrivals last year, up from 455 million in 2021.
While the number of international arrivals last year was still just 63 percent of the level posted in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the UN body predicts it could reach 80 percent to 95 percent in 2023. Is.
“A new year brings more reason for optimism for global tourism,” Zurab Pololikashvili, the body’s secretary general, said in a statement.
The report noted that international tourism is set to consolidate its recovery in 2023 as destinations and markets open up, especially from Asia and the Pacific, due to increased demand.
“In the short term, Asian destinations in particular are likely to benefit from the resumption of travel from China,” he added.
“At the same time, strong demand from the United States, supported by a strong US dollar, will continue to benefit destinations in the region and beyond. Europe, in particular, will benefit.”
Travel in and out of China dropped dramatically from 2019 levels under Beijing’s strict COVID restrictions, which closed China’s borders for three years before reopening earlier this month.
The restrictions had left a huge hole in the Asian travel market, where countries from Thailand to Japan depend on China as their biggest source of foreign visitors.
Analysts expect Chinese airlines to significantly increase capacity with the start of the summer scheduling season from late March.
The report said China was the world’s largest outbound tourism market in 2019 and the lifting of its virus travel restrictions is “an important and very welcome step towards the recovery of the tourism sector.”
But the UN body warned that high inflation and interest rates, fears of a global recession and “uncertainty resulting from Russian aggression against Ukraine” could hinder the region’s recovery in 2023.
It added, “Tourists are expected to recover value for money and travel closer to home in response to the challenging economic environment.”
heavy spending
Europe, the world’s most popular destination region, recorded 585 million arrivals last year, almost 80 percent of its pre-pandemic level, thanks to a “particularly strong” summer season.
But Africa and the Americas were able to return only about 65 percent of pre-pandemic visitors, while Asia and the Pacific saw only 23 percent due to stronger pandemic-related restrictions.
Most destinations reported a “significant increase” in international tourism receipts, buoyed by people going on holiday for longer periods, a willingness to spend more on travel and rising costs due to inflation.
Traditional markets like France and Germany and emerging markets like India and Saudi Arabia posted “strong” spending numbers last year.
Several destinations, including Mexico, Portugal and Romania, reported tourism receipts above their pre-pandemic levels last year.