MADRID - Global tourism is set to fully recover from the pandemic in 2024 as international tourist arrivals will likely be 2 per cent more than in 2019, the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation said on Jan 19.

Increased global air connectivity and a strong recovery of Asian markets will allow a full rebound of tourism activities worldwide in 2024, even though geopolitical instability in the Middle East and elsewhere constitutes a risk for the industry as it affects would-be travellers’ confidence, it added.

In 2023, travel demand in Europe and Africa almost reached pre-pandemic levels and surpassed them in the Middle East.

Destinations such as Mediterranean Europe, the Caribbean, and the Central American and North African sub-regions exceeded their 2019 international tourism arrivals in 2023.

The UN tourism body expects the Chinese market to soar in 2024 after the Chinese government allowed visa-free travel for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia until Nov 30.

In 2023, global tourism ended at 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.3 billion international travellers.

The overall industry contribution to the global economy in 2023 was US$3.3 trillion (S$4.4 trillion), according to the report. REUTERS