UN Tourism has announced that international tourism is well on its way to full recovery, with an estimated 1.1 billion tourists traveling globally in the first nine months of 2024. The global tourism sector has rebounded to 98% of pre-pandemic levels, signaling a remarkable recovery despite the ongoing economic, geopolitical, and climate challenges. A complete recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is expected by the end of the year, according to the latest World Tourism Barometer.

The report underscores the resilience of the tourism industry, which, just four years after the pandemic brought it to a standstill, has already surpassed 2019 arrival numbers in many regions. Between January and September 2024, most destinations have posted strong growth, with international tourism receipts showing double-digit increases compared to 2019. This recovery highlights the sector’s ability to overcome unprecedented obstacles and return to pre-pandemic levels of performance.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world. 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.”

Tourism Performance by Region: A Strong Global Recovery in 2024

International tourism continued its impressive recovery in the first nine months of 2024, surpassing expectations across many regions. Post-pandemic demand in Europe, strong performances from key global source markets, and the ongoing recovery of destinations in Asia and the Pacific were pivotal to this growth. Key factors driving this resurgence included enhanced air connectivity and easier visa access, further boosting international travel.

Regional Performance Highlights

The Middle East led the charge with an outstanding 29% growth compared to 2019, maintaining its position as a high-growth region. Europe also performed well, with a 1% increase over 2019 levels, while Africa showed a 6% rise in arrivals. The Americas, on the other hand, reached 97% of its pre-pandemic arrivals, though still slightly down by 3% compared to 2019.

Asia and the Pacific showed significant recovery, reaching 85% of 2019 levels, a considerable improvement over 2023, which saw only a 66% recovery. This region’s recovery has been gradual, marked by uneven progress across different destinations since reopening to international visitors in 2023.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer season in 2024 was strong, with global arrivals nearing pre-pandemic levels, hitting 99% of 2019 figures in Q3.

Out of 111 destinations tracked, 60 exceeded 2019 arrival numbers in the first eight to nine months of 2024. Some standout performers included Qatar, where arrivals soared by 141%, Albania (+77%), Saudi Arabia (+61%), and Curaçao (+48%). Other top destinations seeing strong growth included Tanzania (+43%), Colombia (+36%), and Andorra (+36%).

Exceptional Growth in Tourism Receipts

Tourism receipts saw remarkable growth, with 35 of the 43 countries reporting figures exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Many of these countries experienced double-digit growth in local currencies, significantly outpacing inflation in most cases.

Serbia was a standout performer with a staggering 99% increase in receipts, more than doubling compared to 2019. Other notable performers included Pakistan (+64%), Romania (+61%), Japan (+59%), Portugal (+51%), and Tanzania (+50%).

Top global earners such as Japan (+59%), Türkiye (+41%), and France (+27%) recorded impressive increases in tourism receipts through September 2024. Spain (+36%) and Italy (+26%) also saw strong performances, while the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia reported notable earnings increases of 43%, 35%, and 18%, respectively, through June 2024. As the world’s largest tourism earner, the United States saw a 7% growth in receipts through September.

International tourism expenditure mirrored this positive trend, particularly among large source markets. Germany, the United States, and France saw expenditure growth of 35%, 33%, and 11%, respectively, compared to 2019. The United Kingdom (+46%), Australia (+34%), Canada (+28%), and Italy (+26%) also reported strong outbound spending. Notably, India’s outbound spending surged by 81%, highlighting the increasing importance of the Indian market for global tourism.

Full Recovery Expected by End of 2024

International tourist arrivals are on track to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, and many destinations have already exceeded 2019 arrival numbers. While a few regions like North-East Asia and Central Eastern Europe still have room to fully recover, other areas, including the Middle East, Central America, and the Caribbean, have already surpassed pre-pandemic performance.

As observed in 2023, 2024 has been marked by strong export revenues from international tourism, with higher spending per trip—excluding the effects of inflation—largely due to longer stays by travelers.

Ongoing Challenges in the Sector

Despite the robust recovery, the tourism sector continues to face several challenges. High transport and accommodation costs, driven by inflation, remain a significant concern, as do volatile oil prices. Geopolitical tensions and conflicts continue to impact consumer confidence and travel patterns. Additionally, extreme weather events and ongoing staff shortages present further hurdles to the industry’s full recovery.

In conclusion, while the tourism sector is experiencing a remarkable comeback in 2024, challenges remain. However, the strong growth in arrivals, receipts, and expenditure suggests that the industry is well on its way to achieving a full recovery by the end of the year.