The number of international travel from January to July 2022 increased to 474 million, which is almost three times more than in the same period last year, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
“The number of international travel almost tripled from January to July 2022 (plus 172%) compared to the same period in 2021 to 474 million. This means that the industry has recovered 57% from pre-pandemic levels. A sustained recovery in international tourism is being fueled by pent-up travel demand, as well as the lifting or easing of anti-COVID restrictions,” the organization explained.
As noted in the UNWTO, as of mid-September, anti-COVID restrictions ceased to operate in 86 countries around the world.
According to the organization, 207 million international trips were made in June and July 2022, twice as many as in the same period last year. The same months account for 44% of the total number of all arrivals in seven months. Most of the trips were made in Europe – 309 million.
According to the UNWTO, international tourism in Europe and the Middle East is recovering at the fastest pace. From January to July 2022, the number of trips reached 74% and 76% of the 2019 levels, respectively.
“In seven months, the number of international trips in Europe increased by 190% compared to the same period in 2021. This is due to high demand for intra-regional travel, as well as an increase in the number of tourists from the United States. In the Middle East, in January-July 2022, the number of international arrivals almost quadrupled: in July, the number of travels exceeded the pre-pandemic level by 3%, primarily due to pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia,” the organization noted.
As for the Americas, international tourism there recovered to 65% and 60% of the 2019 level and grew by 103% and 171%, respectively, compared to January-July last year.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the number of international travel is still significantly lower (down 86%) compared to 2019. However, compared to 2021, the number of trips increased by 165%.
According to the UNWTO, some sub-regions have been able to restore international travel to 70-85% of pre-pandemic levels. Thus, the Southern Mediterranean, Europe lag behind by 15% from the pre-pandemic 2019, the Caribbean – by 18%, Central America – by 20%, Western and Northern Europe – by 26% and 27%, respectively.
International tourism is rapidly recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, but developments in Ukraine and the economic situation in the world as a whole may slow down the improvement in the industry’s performance, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
“The vast majority of industry professionals are looking forward to a recovery in international tourism in 2022 compared to 2021 if the virus does not spread and countries continue to lift restrictions. In the first quarter, international tourism recovered rapidly, but despite the positive outlook, the economic situation, combined with events in Ukraine, could lead to a slowdown in the recovery of international tourism.
According to her, in the first quarter, the number of international tourist arrivals amounted to 61% of the level of the pre-pandemic 2019.
“Events in Ukraine interfere with travel in Eastern Europe, but so far have had a limited impact on the overall performance of international tourism. However, economic consequences, including rising oil prices and inflation, disruption of international supply chains, lead to an increase in transport and hotel accommodation costs.
Thus, according to the UNWTO, the average cost of one international tourist trip has grown from $1,000 in 2019 to $1,400 in 2022. Many UNWTO experts expect a full recovery of international arrivals to 2019 levels in 2023.
According to the organization, international tourism revenues fell by $2 trillion in 2020 and 2021 due to border closures and air travel.
The number of international tourist arrivals continued to grow in early 2022 after falling by 70% due to the pandemic, in January the increase was 130% compared to the same month a year earlier, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
“The number of international tourist arrivals in January increased by 18 million or 130% compared to the same month in 2021. While these figures confirm the positive trend that emerged last year, the recovery of international tourism continues to be hampered by covid restrictions that persist in many countries. In 2021 In 2020, the number of arrivals decreased by 71%, in January 2022 the decrease was 67%,” the report says.
The best results, according to the UNWTO, are in Europe and America, where the number of arrivals increased by 2000 and 100% respectively. But these numbers are still just over 50% behind pre-pandemic flows.
In the Middle East, arrivals increased by 90% in the first month of the year, and by 51% in Africa. This is 63 and 66% less than in 2019. The Asia-Pacific region is recovering the slowest, as several countries remain closed to tourists. The increase in the number of arrivals here amounted to 44%.
But what will happen to tourism after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the UN World Tourism Organization does not analyze.
