Global tourism made a strong comeback in 2024 after recording 1.4 billion international travelers, marking a near-complete recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the “worst crisis” in the sector’s history, the United Nations Tourism Organization said.
The industry recorded an 11% rise compared to 2023, with 140 million additional tourists, signaling a revival fueled by surging demand and the reopening of key markets worldwide.
“In 2024, global tourism completed its recovery from the pandemic and, in many places, tourist arrivals and specially earnings are already higher than in 2019. Growth is expected to continue throughout 2025, driven by strong demand contributing to the socio-economic development of both mature and emerging destinations,” UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.
The Middle East stood out as the strongest-performing region, welcoming 95 million visitors in 2024—a 32% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019 and 1% higher than in 2023. Africa also saw growth, hosting 74 million travelers, a 7% rise from 2019 figures.
Europe, the most-visited region globally, recorded 747 million international arrivals, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers by 1% and achieving a 5% growth over 2023. This recovery was largely driven by strong intraregional travel.
Asia and the Pacific saw a significant recovery in tourism, with 316 million international arrivals. While this marked substantial progress, the numbers were still at 87% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 66% at the end of 2023. Meanwhile, the Americas saw 213 million arrivals, recovering 97% of pre-pandemic levels, with the Caribbean and Central America surpassing 2019 figures.
Over the first 10 to 12 months, majority of destinations worldwide have reported visitor numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2024, including El Salvador (+81%), Saudi Arabia (+69%), Ethiopia (+40%), Morocco (+35%), Guatemala (+33%) and the Dominican Republic (+32%).
The UN Tourism Organization, based in Madrid, Spain, is a specialized agency that promotes sustainable, responsible, and accessible tourism worldwide.
