MADRID, January 18. /TASS/. The majority of experts believe that international tourism will return to figures before the coronavirus pandemic in 2024 or later, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said on Tuesday.
"Global tourism experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020 (415 million versus 400 million). However, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) were still 72% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to preliminary estimates by UNWTO. This follows on from 2020, the worst year on record for tourism, when international arrivals decreased by 73%," the organization said.
"According to the latest UNWTO Panel of Experts, most tourism professionals (61%) see better prospects for 2022," the Organization noted. 58% of experts expect a rebound in 2022 but 42% of tourism professionals believe it will take place in 2023 only, UNWTO said. "A majority of experts (64%) now expect international arrivals to return to 2019 levels only in 2024 or later, up from 45% in the September survey," it added.
"The economic contribution of tourism in 2021 (measured in tourism direct gross domestic product) is estimated at $1.9 trillion, above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of $3.5 trillion," UNWTO said. "Export revenues from international tourism could exceed $700 billion in 2021, a small improvement over 2020 due to higher spending per trip, but less than half the US$1.7 trillion recorded in 2019," it stressed.
2020 was the worst year for international tourism on record.