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.
