TEHRAN – The UN World Tourism Organization believes that global tourism is on track to reach 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels of international visitors by the end of 2022.

The tourism industry could bring in up to $1.3 trillion in revenue by the end of the year, which is up to a 70 percent increase over 2021, according to the latest data from the UNWTO.

In the first nine months of the current year, an estimated 700 million tourists traveled internationally, which shows more than double the number for the same period last year, the UN tourism body said.

Available data represents 63 percent of 2019 levels, putting the sector on course to reach 65 percent of its pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. “Results were boosted by strong pent-up demand, improved confidence levels, and the lifting of restrictions in an increasing number of destinations,” the report said.

International travel rebounded strongly between July and September, four months after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and after a widespread easing of entry requirements for the first time since March 2020, boosting consumer confidence in long-distance travel distance.

An estimated 340 million international arrivals were recorded in the third quarter of 2022 alone, almost half of the 700 million people that traveled during the first nine months of the year, according to the UNWTO.

In the race to bring tourism-dependent economies back to pre-pandemic levels of international visitors, Europe is leading the way, followed by some countries in the Middle East (West Asia), according to UN data.

AFM