Tanzania’s incoming visitors’ growth hits 20 percent in 2023 according to the World Tourism Organization

The latest World Tourism Organization Barometer indicates that Tanzania is one of the only two countries in Africa that have recorded a double-digit growth in their tourists’ arrivals this year.

Tanzania with a growth of plus 19 percent, together with Ethiopia which has an increase of 28 percent, are the only African countries that have seen positive development in their respective tourism industries from January to September 2023.

The global prospects for September-December 2023 on the other hand, point to continued recovery, according to the latest United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Confidence Index.

As far as the UNWTO is concerned, Africa recovered 92 percent of pre-crisis visitors between January and July 2023, a seven-month period.

Data indicates that several destinations reported double-digit growth in January-July 2023 compared to the same months of 2019, including, Tanzania (+19%), Ethiopia (+28%) and Qatar (+95%), where arrivals almost doubled, Saudi Arabia (+58%), Albania (+56%), El Salvador (+32%), Armenia (+30%), Jordan and Colombia (both +23%).

The Dominican Republic, Honduras and Serbia (all +17%) also enjoyed strong growth through July, as did Morocco (+15%), Montenegro (+14%), Iceland (+13%), Guatemala (+12%), Portugal (+11%), United Arab Emirates and French Polynesia (both +10%).

The destinations reporting the highest growth in international tourism receipts during the first six to seven months of 2023 were Pakistan (+115%), Albania (+82%), Montenegro (+77%), Türkiye (+75%), Romania (+76%), North Macedonia (+56%), Portugal (+40%), Ireland (+37%) and Colombia (+31%), among others.

Strong demand for international travel was seen from several large sources this period, with many exceeding the levels of 2019.

The United States and Germany both spent 11 percent more on outbound travel than in the same months of 2019, while Italy spent 15 percent more.

International tourism expenditure also exceeded pre-pandemic levels in Scandinavian countries Norway (+28%), Sweden (+9%) and Denmark (+7%).

International tourism recovered 84 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the period January-July 2023 (-16% versus 2019) following a strong second quarter and early part of the Northern Hemisphere summer season.

Travel demand continued to show remarkable resilience and sustained recovery, amid economic and geopolitical challenges.

After reaching 80 percent in the first quarter of 2023, international tourist arrivals hit 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2023 and 90 percent in July 2023, backed by continued pent-up demand.

An estimated 700 million tourists travelled internationally between January and July 2023, which is about 43 percent more than in the same months of 2022, though 16 percent fewer than in 2019.

By regions, the Middle East saw the best results in January-July 2023, with arrivals exceeding by 20 percent pre-pandemic levels.

Europe, the world’s largest destination region, reached 91 percent of pre-pandemic levels, supported by robust intra-regional demand and the Americas 87 percent.

In Asia and the Pacific arrivals climbed to 61 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

By sub-regions, North Africa grew by 8 percent, Central America by 2 percent and Southern Mediterranean Europe by 1 percent.

These results show international tourism remains well on track to reach 80 percent to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023 as projected by UNWTO in the January 2023 World Tourism Barometer.

Prospects for September-December 2023 point to continued recovery, though at a more moderate pace following the peak travel season of June-August.

The challenging economic environment could weigh on spending patterns over the remainder of the year, with tourists increasingly seeking value for money, travelling closer to home and making shorter trips.

The United States and Germany both spent 11 percent more on outbound travel than in the same months of 2019.

Italy, on the other hand, spent 15 percent more.

International tourism expenditure also exceeded pre-pandemic levels in Scandinavian countries Norway (+28%), Sweden (+9%) and Denmark (+7%).

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency mandated with the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

UNWTO’s membership includes 159 countries, 6 Associate Members, two Permanent Observers, and over 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.