Iran (IMNA) - Despite economic and geopolitical challenges, the tourism demand has displayed remarkable resilience and sustained recovery. The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, which tracks the sector's recovery up until July, reveals the following:
By the end of July, international tourist arrivals had reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels. Between January and July 2023, 700 million tourists traveled internationally, marking a 43% increase compared to the same months in 2022. The busiest month was July, with 145 million international travelers recorded, accounting for approximately 20% of the total for the seven-month period.
Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of UNWTO, highlighted that the data once again demonstrates the strong recovery of tourism worldwide. However, he also emphasized the need for the sector to adapt as it recovers. Recent extreme weather events and the challenges of managing increased tourism flows underscore the importance of building a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient sector.
All world regions experienced robust rates of tourism recovery during the first seven months of 2023, driven by demand from several major source markets. Here are some notable highlights:
The Middle East reported the most impressive results from January to July 2023, with arrivals exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 20%. It remains the only region to have surpassed its 2019 levels so far. Europe, the largest destination region globally, reached 91% of pre-pandemic levels. This was supported by strong demand within the region and travel from the United States.
According to available data, Africa has regained 92% of its pre-crisis visitors during this seven-month period, while the Americas have recovered 87%. In Asia and the Pacific, the recovery has accelerated to 61% of the pre-pandemic arrival levels. This progress can be attributed to the opening of many destinations and source markets at the end of 2022 and earlier this year.
The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer provides detailed information on the recovery progress in each region, sub-region, and country. It includes data on the best-performing destinations in terms of international arrivals and receipts for the first seven months of the year.
These results indicate that international tourism is steadily moving towards reaching 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels by 2023. The prospects for the period from September to December 2023 suggest a continued recovery, albeit at a more moderate pace compared to the peak travel season of June to August.
This recovery will be driven by the pent-up demand for travel and the improved air connectivity, particularly in Asia and the Pacific where the recovery is still progressing slowly.
The reopening of China and other Asian markets and destinations is expected to further boost travel, both within the region and to other parts of the world. However, it is important to note that the challenging economic environment remains a critical factor in the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, as highlighted by UNWTO's Panel of Experts.
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