Data from the World Tourism Organization, WTO reveals that the global performance of the sector in 2021 had a growth of 4%, compared to the previous year.

The latest report from the WTO highlights, however, that international tourist arrivals were 72% below 2019, before the pandemic.

The second half of last year saw a recovery in international tourism, but arrivals in December were 65% below 2019 levels, the WTO report quoted by UN News agency says.

The analysis by an OMT panel of experts highlights that the majority of industry professionals, some 61%, foresee better prospects for 2022.

Travel is expected to recover to about 58%. However, to about 64% the hope is that international arrivals will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 or beyond.

 The WTO warns that the vaccination process needs to be more comprehensive for an effective recovery of international tourism.

Other determining factors and which are advanced by the WTO are a greater survey of travel restrictions, coordination, and the provision of clearer information on travel protocols.

After a slight decline between January and April 2022, it is hoped that these aspects can determine the recovery.

International tourist arrivals were 72% below 2019, before the pandemic. However, The report says that this number could grow by 30 to 78% this year compared to 2021.

However, the levels of the visits would still be between 50% and 63% below pre-pandemic.
In countries that have "large domestic markets," domestic tourism continues to help the travel industry recover.

The WTO experts point to trends such as "domestic tourism," "travel close to home," "outdoor activities," "nature-based products," and "rural tourism" among the main ones expected to shape the sector in 2022.

Source: UN News