Madrid-based UNWTO announced that global tourism numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels, describing it as the "worst period in its history" before the pandemic.
The World Tourism Organization stated that a total of 700 million tourists traveled worldwide in the January-July period this year, emphasizing that this represents a 43% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
It was noted that during this 7-month period, tourism saw the most significant increase in July, with 145 million tourists, accounting for approximately 20% of the total for 2023.
According to the data, Europe, which is the region that hosts the most tourists globally, reached 91% of pre-pandemic levels, thanks to a strong increase in domestic demand and travel from the US.
In the Middle East, the only region to surpass pre-pandemic (2019) levels, the number of incoming tourists between January and July exceeded 20% of 2019 figures.
