UN World Tourism Organization's annual report on international tourist arrivals

UN Tourism Reports Global Tourism Recovers to Pre-Covid Levels in 2024 With 1.4 Billion Arrivals

Jan 20, 2025, 05:03 PM

Global tourism fully recovered to pre-Covid levels in 2024, with approximately 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals recorded worldwide, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism). This figure matches the peak levels seen before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The recovery was driven by robust demand from key markets, with international arrivals in 2024 being 11% higher than the 1.3 billion recorded in 2023, reaching the same level as in 2019. Europe, the world's largest destination region, saw 747 million international arrivals, a 5% increase from 2023 and 1% above 2019 levels. The Asia-Pacific region experienced the strongest growth, with a 33% increase in arrivals compared to 2023, although still below 2019 levels. The Middle East saw a 32% increase over pre-pandemic levels, while Africa and the Americas also showed significant recovery, with Africa receiving 7% more arrivals than in 2019 and the Americas reaching 97% of pre-pandemic levels. UN Tourism anticipates continued growth into 2025, projecting a 3% to 5% increase in international arrivals, driven by demand from Asia.