International tourism, which was severely crippled due to implications stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, is well on its way to recovery, the latest UNWTO World Tourism barometer revealed.

International tourism is on track in returning to pre-pandemic levels as twice as many people have travelled during 1Q23 when compared with 1Q22.

The barometer revealed that international arrivals reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023

An estimated 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months, more than double the same period of 2022.

“Tourism has continued to show its resilience. Revised data for 2022 shows over 960 million tourists travelling internationally last year, meaning two-thirds (66%) of pre-pandemic numbers were recovered,” the UNWTO said.

In terms of recovery, the Middle East saw the strongest performance as the only region exceeding 2019 arrivals (+15 percent) and the first to recover pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter.

Europe reached 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand. Africa reached 88 percent and the Americas about 85 percent of 2019 levels

Asia and the Pacific accelerated its recovery with 54 percent of pre-pandemic levels, but this upward trend is set to accelerate now that most destinations, particularly China, have re-opened.

However, tourism's recovery also faces some challenges.  According to the UNWTO Panel of Experts, the economic situation remains the main factor weighing on the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices translating into higher transport and accommodation costs. 

As a result, tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home. Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine and other mounting geopolitical tensions, also continue to represent downside risks.