The UN World Tourism Organisation announced on Friday that global tourism should fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024 as international tourist arrivals are expected to rise by two per cent compared to 2019.
The restoration of global air traffic and a robust recovery in Asian markets will ensure a full recovery in tourism activity around the world this year, despite escalations in the Middle East and other regions.
In 2023, travel demand in Europe and Africa has almost reached pre-pandemic levels and surpassed those in the Middle East, the UN tourism body reported. For instance, travel to destinations such as Mediterranean Europe, the Caribbean, as well as sub-regions of Central America and North Africa, have surpassed 2019 figures.
The UN body expects the Chinese market to surge in 2024 after the government allowed visa-free travel for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia until November 30, 2024.
The number of international travellers was estimated at 1.3 billion in 2023. According to the report, the industry’s total contribution to the global economy in the previous year was US$3.3 trillion.
