Mon 15 May 2023:
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations reports that international tourism is returning to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many individuals traveling during the first quarter of 2023 as during the same period in 2018.
According to the most recent statistics, there were almost 235 million visitors who traveled abroad in the first three months of this year, reaching 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
The UNWTO acknowledged the resilience of the tourism sector, citing that 960 million people had travelled abroad last year, representing a recovery to 66 per cent of pre-pandemic figures.
The Middle East saw the strongest recovery, exceeding its 2019 arrivals by 15 per cent and recovering to pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter. Europe reached 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand. Meanwhile, Africa and the Americas were at 88 per cent and 85 per cent of their 2019 levels, respectively.
The report also highlighted that international tourism receipts hit the $1 trillion mark in 2022, growing 50 per cent in real terms compared to 2021, driven by the rebound in international travel. Global visitor spending reached 64 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, it added.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Covid-19 is no longer a “global health emergency”. The announcement, which comes three years after it initially raised its highest level of warning over the virus, came as a significant step towards putting an end to the pandemic.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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