TEHRAN—The total number of international tourist arrivals has reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels between January and July, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer suggests that global tourism is on track for full recovery from the worst crisis in its history as it offers tracks for the sector's recovery over 2023 up to the end of July.

Some 700 million tourists traveled internationally between January and July 2023, 43% more than in the same months of 2022, the barometer suggests.

Moreover, it shows July was the busiest month with 145 million international travelers recorded, about 20% of the seven-month total.

Talking about the international tourism revival, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “UNWTO data once again shows how tourism is recovering strongly in every part of the world. But as our sector recovers, it also needs to adapt. The extreme weather events we have witnessed over recent months as well as the critical challenges of managing increasing tourism flows underline the need to build a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient sector and ensure recovery goes hand-in-hand with rethinking of our sector.”

The UN body says tourism demand continues to show remarkable resilience and sustained recovery, even in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges.

“All world regions enjoyed strong rates of tourism recovery over the first seven months of 2023, driven by demand for international travel from several large source markets,” the organization wrote on Tuesday.

The Middle East (West Asia) reported the best results in January-July 2023, with arrivals 20% above pre-pandemic levels. The region continues to be the only one to exceed 2019 levels so far, the UNWTO wrote.

Moreover, Europe, which is the world's largest destination region, reached 91% of pre-pandemic levels, supported by robust intra-regional demand and travel from the United States.

Africa has managed to recover 92% of pre-crisis visitors this seven-month period and the Americas 87% according to available data.

Based on the barometer, in Asia and the Pacific, recovery accelerated to 61% of pre-pandemic arrival levels after the opening of many destinations and source markets at the end of 2022 and earlier this year.

UNWTO experts anticipate the reopening of China and other Asian markets and destinations is expected to continue boosting travel both within the region and to other parts of the world.

However, the challenging economic environment continues to be a critical factor in the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, according to UNWTO's Panel of Experts.

In addition, persisting inflation and rising oil prices on the world scale have translated into higher transport and accommodation costs. This could weigh on spending patterns over the remainder of the year, with tourists increasingly seeking value for money, traveling closer to home, and making shorter trips.

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer contains results from region, sub-region, and country, including best-performing destinations in terms of international arrivals and receipts over the first seven months of the year.

AFM