Global tourism returned to pre-COVID levels in 2024: UN Tourism

Global tourism recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, reports UN Tourism.

With 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals recorded globally, 2024 marked the recovery of international tourism from “the worst crisis in the sector’s history,” the organization wrote in a press release Monday (Jan. 20).

A majority of destinations welcomed more international tourists in 2024 than they did before the pandemic, while visitor spending also continued to grow strongly, the agency says.

According to the latest World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, an estimated 1.4 billion tourists travelled internationally in 2024, indicating a virtual recovery (99%) of pre-pandemic levels.

This represents an increase of 11% over 2023, or 140 million more international tourist arrivals, with results driven by strong post-pandemic demand, robust performance from large source markets and the ongoing recovery of destinations in Asia and the Pacific.

The Middle East, Europe and Africa saw the strongest results in 2024 relative to 2019, the report says.

The Americas recovered 97% of pre-pandemic arrivals (-3% over 2019), with the Caribbean and Central America already exceeding 2019 levels. Compared to 2023, the region saw 7% growth.

Asia and the Pacific (316 million) continued to experience a rapid recovery in 2024, though arrival numbers were still 87% of pre-pandemic levels, an improvement from 66% at the end of 2023. International arrivals grew 33% in 2024, an increase of 78 million from 2023.

By subregions, North Africa and Central America saw the strongest performance in 2024, with 22% and 17% more international arrivals than before the pandemic.

"In 2024, global tourism completed its recovery from the pandemic and, in many places, tourist arrivals and specially earnings are already higher than in 2019. Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, driven by strong demand contributing to the socio-economic development of both mature and emerging destinations. This recalls our immense responsibility as a sector to accelerate transformation, placing people and planet at the center of the development of tourism,” stated UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

The majority of destinations reported arrival figures well above pre-pandemic levels in 2024, the agency says.

Positive outlook for 2025 

A positive outlook for 2025 points to continued growth, says UN Tourism. 

International tourist arrivals are expected to grow 3% to 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, assuming a continued recovery of Asia and the Pacific and solid growth in most other regions, the agency says.

This initial  projection assumes global economic conditions remain favourable, inflation continues to recede, and geopolitical conflicts do not escalate.

The latest UN Tourism Confidence Index confirms these positive expectations. Around 64% of UN Tourism Panel of Experts see 'better' or 'much better' prospects for 2025 compared to 2024.

Some 26% expect similar performance in their destination, while only 9% believe 2025 be 'worse' or 'much worse' than last year.

However, economic and geopolitical headwinds continue to pose significant risks.

More than half of respondents point to high transport and accommodation costs and other economic factors such as volatile oil prices, as the main challenges international tourism will face in 2025.

Against this backdrop, tourists are expected to continue to seek value for money. But geopolitical risks (aside from ongoing conflicts) are also a growing concern, in addition to extreme weather events and staff shortages.

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