Despite the crises shaking the planet, global tourism is recovering and France should benefit from it in 2024

La reprise du marché asiatiques suscite des espoirs. MAXPPP – Luc Nobout

International tourist travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The page is almost turned. Global tourism is expected to fully recover from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2024, with an expected 2% increase in international travel compared to 2019 levels, the Organization announced on Friday. world tourism.

The UN agency, based in Madrid, expects demand for China to climb this year after Beijing's visa waiver for travelers from France, Germany, from Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia until November 30, 2024.

A new impetus in 2023

The capacity of flights from China is also expected to increase in 2024. However, before the pandemic, the Chinese were the most numerous travelers in the world (154 million), but also the biggest spenders ( $255 billion in 2019).

Their return should particularly benefit France, the world's leading tourist destination, driven, moreover, this year by the Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. More than 100 million tourists are expected.

This strong recovery in Asian markets and the increase in global air traffic will allow a complete rebound in tourism activities around the world this year, despite the war in Ukraine, the geopolitical instability in the Middle East as well as in other countries. rsquo;other regions affecting traveler confidence, says the United Nations tourism body.

Travels closer to home ?

The economic context could also weigh: "Persistent inflation, high interest rates", " oil price volatility" could "continue to impact transportation and accommodation costs in 2024& ;quot;, according to the UNWTO. A set of factors that could still push international tourists to "travel closer to home", anticipates the OMT.

In 2023, 1.3 billion people traveled around the world (+44%), travel demand in Europe and Africa has already almost reached pre-pandemic levels, and has exceeded in the Middle East.

Some destinations, such as Mediterranean Europe, the Caribbean and the sub-regions of Central America and North Africa, even exceeded the 2019 level.