UN report says international tourism back to pre-pandemic levels
After several years of recovery, international tourism has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 1.4 billion tourists traveling internationally in 2024. The numbers indicate a virtual recovery of 99% compared to pre-pandemic levels, representing an increase of 11% over 2023.
The strong performance was driven by robust post-pandemic demand, significant growth from major source markets and the ongoing recovery of destinations in Asia and the Pacific. The Middle East remained the strongest performing region compared to pre-pandemic numbers, with international arrivals 32% above 2019 levels.
By region, international arrivals showed solid growth across the board. Europe, the world's largest destination region, saw 747 million international arrivals (+1% above 2019 levels and 5% over 2023). The Americas recovered 97% of pre-pandemic arrivals. Asia and the Pacific continued its rapid recovery trajectory, though arrival numbers were still at 87% of pre-pandemic levels – a significant improvement from 66% at the end of 2023.
"In 2024, global tourism completed its recovery from the pandemic and, in many places, tourist arrival and specially earnings are already higher than in 2019," says UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. "Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, driven by strong demand contributing to the socio-economic development of both mature and emerging destinations. This recalls our immense responsibility as a sector to accelerate transformation, placing people and planet at the center of the development of tourism."
Several destinations reported exceptional growth in 2024, with El Salvador (+81%), Saudi Arabia (+69%), Ethiopia (+40%), Morocco (+35%), Guatemala (+33%) and the Dominican Republic (+32%) all exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Similarly impressive results through October/November 2024 came from Qatar (+137%), Albania (+80%), Colombia (+37%), Andorra (+35%), and Malta and Serbia (both +29%).
Total exports from tourism reached a record US$1.9 trillion in 2024, about 3% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Several destinations saw outstanding growth in receipts during the first nine to eleven months, including Kuwait (+232%), El Salvador (+206%), Saudi Arabia (+148%) and Albania (+136%).
Looking ahead to 2025, international tourist arrivals are expected to grow 3% to 5%, assuming continued recovery in Asia and the Pacific and solid growth in other regions. However, economic and geopolitical headwinds pose significant risks. More than half of industry respondents identified high transport and accommodation costs and other economic factors as the main challenges facing international tourism in 2025. Geopolitical risks are also a growing concern, ranking as the third main factor after economic ones.