MADRID – The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced Tuesday that 1.4 billion people traveled internationally in 2024, marking a significant recovery for global tourism after the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the sector's worst crisis in 2020-2021.

According to the Madrid-based UNWTO, this represents an 11 percent increase which refers to around 140 million more travelers compared to the previous year, bringing international tourism figures back to pre-pandemic levels.

The largest growth in visitor numbers compared to 2019 was observed in the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The Middle East saw 95 million visitors, reflecting a 32 percent increase from 2019, Africa recorded 74 million visitors, marking a 7 percent rise, and Europe welcomed 747 million visitors, showing 1 percent growth.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said global tourism completed its post-pandemic recovery in 2024, with many destinations surpassing 2019 levels in both tourist arrivals and revenue.

He added that strong demand is expected to drive further growth in 2025. (Anadolu)