Global tourism sector in major rebound

THE global tourism sector recorded a 182 percent year-on-year increase in the first quarter of the year welcoming an estimated 117 million international visitors compared to 41 million in the comparable period in 2021.

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic which was first detected in China in December 2019, the tourism sector was the hardest hit as countries around the world embarked on national lockdowns and travel restrictions to curb the spread of the respiratory disease.

The United World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has reported that globally, destinations welcomed almost three times as many international arrivals in the first quarter of 2022 as in the same period of 2021, with Europe leading the sector’s rebound.

“According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism saw a 182 percent year-on-year increase in January-March 2022, with destinations worldwide welcoming an estimated 117 million international arrivals compared to 41 million in Q1 2021.

“Of the extra 76 million international arrivals for the first three months, about 47 million were recorded in March, showing that the recovery is gathering pace,” said the world tourism body in a statement.

“Although international tourism remains 61 percent below 2019 levels, the gradual recovery is expected to continue throughout 2022, as more destinations ease or lift travel restrictions and pent-up demand is unleashed.”

As of 2 June 2022, UNWTO said 45 destinations (of which 31 are in Europe) had no Covid19 related restrictions in place.

In Asia, an increasing number of destinations have started to ease those restrictions.
UNWTO said during the first quarter of the year, Europe welcomed almost four times as many international arrivals (+280 percent) as in Q1 of 2021, with results driven by strong
intra-regional demand.

In the Americas arrivals more than doubled (+117 percent) in the same three months.
“However, arrivals in Europe and the Americas were still 43 percent and 46 percent below 2019 levels respectively.

“The Middle East (+132 percent) and Africa (+96 percent) also saw strong growth in Q1 2022 compared to 2021, but arrivals remained 59 percent and 61 percent below 2019 levels respectively,” it said.

Asia and the Pacific recorded a 64 percent increase over 2021 but again, levels were 93 percent below 2019 numbers as several destinations remained closed to non-essential travel.

By sub-region, the Caribbean and Southern Mediterranean Europe continue to show the fastest rates of recovery.

In both regions, arrivals recovered to nearly 75 percent of 2019 levels, with some destinations reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The UNWTO Tourism Barometer also shows that US$ 1 trillion was lost in export revenues from international tourism in 2021, adding to the US$1 trillion lost in the first year of the pandemic.

Total export revenues from tourism (including passenger transport receipts) reached an estimated US$ 713 billion in 2021, a 4 percent increase in real terms from 2020 but still 61 percent below 2019 levels.

“International tourism receipts reached US$ 602 billion, also 4 percent higher in real terms than in 2020.
“Europe and the Middle East recorded the best results, with earnings climbing to about 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels in both regions,” it said. The latest UNWTO Confidence Index showed a marked uptick.

“For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the index returned to levels of 2019, reflecting rising optimism among tourism experts worldwide, building on strong pent-up demand, in particular intra-European travel and US travel to Europe,” it said.

UNWTO said despite these positive prospects, a challenging economic environment coupled with conflict in Ukraine poses a downside risk to the ongoing recovery of international tourism.

UNWTO said the conflict “seems to have had a limited direct impact on overall results so far, although it is disrupting travel in Eastern Europe”.-The Herald