World Tourism Organization: international tourism has returned to pre-coronavirus levels

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 01. 22. 11:13

International tourism has returned to pre-coronavirus levels, with 1.4 billion tourists travelling worldwide last year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said in a preliminary report published on its website.

According to the information, 140 million more people travelled in 2024, an 11 percent increase compared to the previous year, reaching 99 percent of the result of the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Revenues last year exceeded 1.54 billion euros, an increase of 3 percent compared to last year and 4 percent compared to 2019.

“Global tourism has emerged from the pandemic in 2024, with many destinations reporting higher tourist arrivals and, in particular, earnings than in 2019. Growth is expected to continue in 2025, driven by strong demand, contributing to the socio-economic development of both existing and emerging destinations. This reminds us that as a sector, we have a huge responsibility to accelerate the transformation, putting people and the planet at the heart of tourism development,”

the report quoted Zurab Pololikashvili, UN Secretary-General for Tourism, as saying. The Tourism Barometer projects growth of between 3 and 5 percent in 2025 compared to last year, assuming continued recovery in Asia and the Pacific and stable growth in other regions. This is based on the fact that global economic conditions remain favorable, inflation continues to decline, and geopolitical conflicts do not escalate, the document states, emphasizing that economic and geopolitical headwinds continue to pose significant risks.