INTERNATIONAL. Newly released World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data shows that international tourism enjoyed encouraging rebound signs in June and July.
According to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July 2021. While that number is down -67% compared to the same month in 2019 it represents the strongest monthly result since April 2020.
This compares to an estimated 34 million international arrivals recorded in July last year, though the number falls far short of the 164 million recorded in July 2019.
UNWTO attributed the improved result to countries easing travel restrictions and the advancement of the global vaccination roll-out in many parts of the world.
Most destinations reporting data for June and July 2021 saw a moderate rebound in international arrivals compared to 2020, according to UNWTO. Nevertheless, the organisation added that 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down -80% in January-July compared to 2019.
Asia and the Pacific suffered a -95% drop in international arrivals compared to 2019 in the period January to July, a weaker result than the Middle East (-82%) and Europe and Africa (both -77%).
The Americas (-68%) saw a comparatively smaller decrease, and the Caribbean showed the best performance among world sub-regions.
Some small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, together with a few small European destinations recorded the best performance in June and July, with arrivals close to or sometimes exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “There is clearly a strong demand for international tourism, and many destinations have started welcoming visitors back safely and responsibly.
“However, the true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remain on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel.”
UNWTO said that although destinations continued to report weak international tourism revenues in the first seven months of 2021, several did record a modest improvement in June and July, and some even surpassed the earnings of 2019.
Mexico, for example, earned roughly the same tourism receipts in June 2021 as in 2019, and in July posted a +2% increase over 2019.
Among the larger markets, France (-35%) and the United States (-49%) saw a significant improvement in tourism revenues during July compared to previous months.
The latest UNWTO Panel of Experts survey shows mixed opinions on the prospects ahead for Q4 2021, with 53% of respondents believing the period will be worse than expected. Only 31% of the experts expect better results towards the end of the year.
The survey also shows that most tourism professionals continue to expect a rebound driven by unleashed pent-up demand for international travel in 2022, mostly during the second and third quarters.
Almost half of all experts (45%) continue to see international tourism returning to 2019 levels in 2024 or later, while 43% point to a recovery in 2023.
