Tourism Watch Quarterly Report: Q1 2024
Tourism nears a full recovery
- Global Overview: In the first quarter of 2024, tourism arrivals grew 20 percent compared to 2023, boosted by improvements in air connectivity, visa facilitation, and decreasing airfares as well as a continuing post-pandemic recovery. Tourism contributed an estimated 3 percent to global GDP in 2023, reaching pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Travel prospects remain promising, with a full recovery expected this year despite macroeconomic, geopolitical, and climate-related headwinds.
- Regional Overview: The East Asia Pacific region continues to drive global growth as it catches up from a slow pandemic recovery. All regions have experienced double-digit year-on-year growth in estimated aviation passenger arrivals other than Africa East, which registered a 7 percent y/y increase. This includes The Middle East and North Africa, where overall growth remains strong amidst an ongoing conflict.
- Special Policy Insert: Applying a Circular Economy (CE) approach to the tourism sector can help mitigate tourism¡¯s environmental impacts, such as increased waste, and shortages of water and power. This insert showcases tools and examples for incorporating CE into the tourism sector, including into World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP projects.
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First Quarter 2024