Global tourism could fully recover from Covid-19 shock in 2024

Global tourism is likely to fully recover from the COVID-19 shock in 2024, with the Asia-Pacific region lagging behind other destinations in terms of tourist arrivals, according to estimates by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Last year, there were an estimated 1.29 billion international tourist arrivals globally, up about 88% from 2019, led by a strong recovery in the Middle East with arrivals up 22% compared to four years earlier.

According to UNWTO, compared to 2019, tourist arrivals last year recovered to 94% in Europe, 96% in Africa and 90% in the Americas.

The corresponding figure for the Asia-Pacific region is 65%, with the Maldives and Fiji being popular destinations.

However, recovery has been slow in Northeast Asia, including Japan and China, with travel demand recovering to around 55% of 2019 levels.

Japan welcomed 25.07 million tourists last year, up about 80% from 2019, government data showed, as a weak yen made the country an attractive destination for foreign tourists.

“There is still significant headroom for tourism recovery across Asia,” the UN WTO said, noting that in addition to improvements in Asian markets, pent-up demand and increased air connectivity will help the world achieve a full tourism recovery by the end of the year.

The agency also said the recovery in tourism in and out of China is expected to accelerate this year, with Beijing granting visa-free entry to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia for one year from December 2023.

Despite the positive outlook, the agency also noted that geopolitical risks pose “significant” challenges to a sustainable recovery of the tourism industry.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas, set to begin in October 2023, has added to the risks, raising concerns that it will spill over into the wider Middle East.

Globally, tourism revenue in 2023 will reach 1,400 billion USD, recovering about 93% compared to 2019.