Tourism Rebounds Strongly in Early 2024, Reaching 97% of Pre-Pandemic Levels

International tourism has made a robust recovery, reaching 97% of its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of 2024, Anadolu Agency cited the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) yesterday.

In the first three months of this year, over 285 million tourists traveled internationally, marking a 20% increase from the same period in 2023. Additionally, tourism’s direct contribution to global GDP has returned to 2019 levels, while export revenues from the sector remain at 97% of pre-pandemic figures.

The UNWTO expects international tourism to fully rebound in 2024, with arrivals set to exceed 2% of 2019 levels. This forecast is underpinned by the strong performance of Europe, the world’s largest destination region, which surpassed its pre-virus visitation for the first time in the first quarter, reaching 120 million international tourists – a 1% increase.

The Middle East registered the most robust relative growth, with international arrivals exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 36% in January-March 2024. In contrast, Asia and the Pacific, while experiencing a substantial uptick in tourist numbers, has not yet fully recovered, with arrivals reaching 82% of 2019 first-quarter levels.

It is worth mentioning that the holy city of Karbala has witnessed a dramatic surge in tourism and visitations after the global pandemic, with figures reaching well over 20 million just during the blessed Arbaeen of the Master of the Martyrs, peace be upon him.