What's Standing in the Way of Tourism's Full Recovery?

International tourism continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic this year, reaching 80 percent of 2019 levels in Q1 2023, 85 percent in Q2 2023 and 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels in July 2023. According to the UNWTO, an estimated 700 million tourists travelled internationally between January and July 2023, up 43 percent from the same period of last year but still 16 percent below 2019 levels.

The UNWTO expects international tourism to reach 80 to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year, depending on whether pent-up demand and tourists’ desire to travel is strong enough to defy the difficult economic and political circumstances.

As our chart based on results from the UNWTO’s Panel of Tourism Experts shows, the pandemic or the uneven vaccine rollout is no longer considered a major roadblock on the way to a full recovery. It’s the economic environment and high transport and accommodation costs that are now seen as the biggest inhibitors to international travel demand.