Global Tourism Rebounds to Pre-Pandemic Levels with 1.4B Travelers in 2024
International tourism has made a triumphant return from the pandemic, clocking 1.4 billion tourist arrivals worldwide in 2024. This marks a full recovery, reaching 99% of pre-pandemic levels.
As per the latest World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, this signifies an impressive 11% increase over 2023, contributing an additional 140 million international tourist arrivals. The resurgence was propelled by a potent post-pandemic demand, robust performance from major source markets, and the ongoing revival of destinations in Asia and the Pacific.
The Middle East outshone other regions with arrivals 32% above pre-pandemic levels, while Europe greeted 747 million international arrivals. Tourism receipts hit a record USD 1.6 trillion in 2024, approximately 3% more than 2023 and 4% above 2019 levels in real terms.
“The strong growth seen in tourism receipts is excellent news for economies around the world,” stated UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
Several destinations reported remarkable growth, as outlined below:
- Qatar leading at +137%
- Albania following closely at +80%
- Colombia at a respectable +37%