International Tourism Growth At 60% Pre-Pandemic Levels

According to the most recent statistics from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international arrivals climbed by 172% during the first seven months of 2022 compared to the same seven-month period in 2021.

As a result, the industry production has picked up to where it was before the pandemic or about 60%.

Pent-up demand for international travel and the easing or removal of travel restrictions to this point are to blame for the slow but steady recovery (86 countries had no COVID-19-related restrictions as of 19 September 2022).

While the tourism industry is showing signs of improvement, many geopolitical and economic issues remain, according to UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Because of the strong industry growth in developing countries, people worldwide feel more optimistic. The time is opportune to examine tourism’s future and its implications on people and the environment.

By comparison, just 175 million people travelled abroad over those same months in 2021; thus, the expected 474 million international visitors is a considerable rise.

The overall number of international arrivals in June and July 2022 was expected to be 207 million, which is more than double the number of visitors who visited during the same two months in 2021.

These months account for 44% of total arrivals recorded in the first seven months of 2022. Europe saw 309 million new arrivals, accounting for around 65% of the world’s total.