Tourism worldwide bounced back to the levels seen before COVID-19 in 2024, with the Middle East being the best-performing region
Tourism around the world fully bounced back last year from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.4 billion people traveling internationally, according to data shared by the United Nations tourism agency on Monday.
In 2024, travel spending reached $1.6 trillion, which is 3% more than in 2023 and 4% higher than in 2019, according to early estimates by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The Middle East saw 95 million visitors, making it the top-performing region compared to 2019. International arrivals were 32% higher than before the pandemic and 1% more than in 2023.
Many destinations had more tourists in 2024 than in 2019. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia saw a 69% increase in visitors over the year to December 2024, while Qatar had a 137% rise in the 11 months to November.
In Africa, 74 million visitors came in 2024, which is 7% more than in 2019 and 12% more than in 2023.
Europe, the world’s biggest tourist destination, had 747 million visitors last year, which was 1% more than in 2019, driven by strong travel within Europe. All parts of Europe except Central and Eastern Europe saw more visitors than before the pandemic. Central and Eastern Europe are still affected by the war in Ukraine.
North Africa and Central America saw the most growth in 2024, with 22% and 17% more visitors than before the pandemic. Southern Mediterranean Europe had an 8% increase, and the Caribbean grew by 7%. Northern Europe and Western Europe also had growth, at 5% and 2%, respectively.
Total tourism exports, including passenger transport, hit a record $1.9 trillion in 2024, which is 3% more than before the pandemic in real terms.
Looking ahead to 2025, the UNWTO expects continued growth in tourism. International tourist arrivals are predicted to grow by 3% to 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, especially if Asia and the Pacific continue to recover and other regions keep growing. This outlook assumes the global economy stays strong, inflation drops, and geopolitical issues don’t worsen.
Published: 28th January 2025
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