According to the latest data announced by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 54 million international tourists were registered worldwide in July 2021, the highest figure recorded since April 2020, when the health crisis began, but still 67% below the figure recorded in July 2019. Comparatively, in July last year, 34 million international tourists were registered and in July 2019, a figure of 164 million international tourists, Agerpres also announces.
Europe recorded a minus 77%
In the first seven months of this year, the Asia-Pacific region recorded the worst decline in international travel compared to 2019 (down 95%), followed by the Middle East (down 82%), and Europe and Africa (both down 77%). “The easing of travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers, combined with progress in the vaccination campaign, have contributed to improving consumer confidence and the gradual restoration of safe mobility conditions in Europe and other parts of the world. In contrast, many destinations in Asia remain closed to non-essential travel ,” the UNWTO said.
Only some small islands in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia Pacific, as well as a very small number of European destinations, recorded in June and July a number of tourist arrivals comparable and, in some cases, even higher than the pre-pandemic level. “However, 2021 continues to be a difficult year for global tourism, given that in the period January-July 2019 international arrivals are 80% below the level of the same period in 2019 ,” the international organization adds.
Separately, Spain , which was the world's second-largest tourist destination before the pandemic, announced on Monday that it had welcomed 15 million international tourists in the first eight months of this year, 4,2% fewer than in the same period in 2020 (15,7 million). These figures call into question the objective of the government in Madrid, which wants to welcome 45 million tourists this year, about half the figure for 2019. " There is clearly a solid demand for international tourism. However, the real relaunch of tourism and the benefits it brings is delayed, due to the lack of coherence of rules and uneven vaccination rates, which continue to affect confidence in travel ," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
Looking ahead, the UNWTO is counting on a recovery in world tourism in 2022 but believes the sector will not return to pre-crisis levels before 2023 or 2024.
