inbound tourism by purpose of visit

What is inbound tourism explained and why does it matter?

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Inbound tourism is an important type of tourism . Many countries rely heavily on the demand from inbound tourists to fuel the development and operations of their tourism economy.

But what does it actually mean to be an inbound tourist? In this article I will explain what is meant by the term inbound tourism, provide definitions of inbound tourism and I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of inbound tourism. Lastly, I will provide examples of destinations which have significantly sized inbound tourism markets.

What is inbound tourism?

Inbound tourism definitions, the importance of inbound tourism, uk inbound tourism, advantages of inbound tourism, disadvantages of inbound tourism, inbound tourism: conclusion, further reading on inbound tourism.

Inbound tourism is the act of someone travelling to a country other than that of where they live for the purpose of tourism.

Many countries around the world rely on inbound tourism.

Inbound tourism is often seasonal, meaning that many destinations will have evident peak, shoulder and low seasons. This is often dependant on weather conditions (for example sun or snow ) and school and public holidays.

The most widely utilised definition of tourism , proposed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and United States (UN) Nations Statistics Division (1994), prescribes that in order to qualify as a tourist one must travel and remain in a place outside of their usual residential environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.

When considering inbound tourism, it therefore makes sense to simply add in the prerequisite of travelling to another country…

Based on this commonly accepted definition (although this is not without its limits- see this post for more details ), therefore, inbound tourism can be defined as:

‘The act of travelling to another country for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.’

Inbound tourism is incredibly important in many destinations.

This is largely because of the economic benefits of tourism . Tourism can bring in a lot of money to a country through foreign exchange. This is particularly beneficial in countries where the currency is weaker than the currency of the tourists ‘ home countries.

It is for this reason that many countries will target their advertising towards certain nationalities. China produces one of the largest outbound tourism markets in the world and Chinese tourists tend to spend more on their holidays than any other nationality. Therefore many countries want to attract Chinese inbound tourists due to the economic value of this market.

Click here to see some interesting statistics demonstrating the growth in the Chinese outbound tourism market.

However, over dependance on inbound tourism can be risky business for destinations. There are many destinations, such as the Maldives , Spain and Greece who rely heavily on people travelling from other countries to their country for tourism.

The problem occurs when the travel industry is disrupted. This has never been more true than during the 2020 pandemic, when the impacts of Coronavirus on tourism were devastating.

Inbound tourism can also be negatively effected as a result of other factors, such as political unrest, natural disasters or economic instability.

In order to ensure sustainable tourism principles are adopted, destinations ideally need to diversify their tourism product to appeal to both the domestic tourism market and the inbound tourism market.

In The United Kingdom, we have a sizeable inbound tourism industry.

Here, inbound tourism is worth £127 billion per year to the UK economy. Inbound tourism creates jobs and boosts the economic throughout the country.

According to the UK tourist board, Visit Britain , inbound visitors to the UK spent £24.5 billion in 2017, and £21 billion of that was spent in England.

Inbound tourism attracts tourists from all over the world including Europe, the USA, Australia , China and Japan.

Inbound tourism markets around the world

Inbound tourism is a significant part of the tourism industry in many countries around the world.

The OECD have some useful data, demonstrating the most recent figures for inbound tourism around the world.

To take a look at the most recent OECD inbound tourism figures click here.

Here are a few tourism markets that have a high number of inbound tourists each year-

According to Statistica , Spain ranked second on the World Tourism Organisation’s list of most visited countries in the world, with its number of international visitors amounting to nearly 89.4 million in 2018.

Most travellers to Spain come from Europe, with the largest amount of tourists being British.

Spain is popular for its beach holidays, package holiday market and city breaks to Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, amongst others.

The Maldives has been host to a fast-growing tourism industry in recent years. The archipelago attracts visitors all-year round, especially in hubs like Male which is home to an increasing number of modern hotels. 

Statistica reported in February 2019 that there were sharp increases in economic activity in The Maldives resulting from tourism. Figures showed a 16.8% increase in inbound tourism from the same time the previous year.

In total, 168,583 inbound tourists were recorded in The Maldives in 2019. China accounted for 17.8% and European markets accounted for a further 55% of inbound tourism.

The Maldives is renowned for its luxurious beach holidays.

Inbound tourism is one of the biggest economic activities in Thailand .

The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) stated that in February 2019 the tourism industry accounted for 18.4% of GDP. Chinese visitors make up almost one third of all inbound tourists travelling to Thailand , with 10.99 million visits recorded in 2019.

There are many types of tourism found in Thailand and Thailand attracts a range of types of tourists, from backpackers to luxury travellers to business tourists .

Bali is another destination that is reliant on inbound tourism as a key economic contributor.

In 2018, the number of foreign tourists travelling to Bali was over 5 million. This was an increase of approximately 3.5 million from 2008. Figures taken from Statistica .

The inbound tourism market in Bali is dominated largely by Chinese and Australian tourists.

Bali is well-known for its beach escapes and cultural tourism .

There are many advantages of inbound tourism.

One advantage is that inbound tourism is not reliant on weekends in the way that domestic tourism is because people tend to your their annual leave when they take holidays overseas.

Having an inbound tourism market that attracts tourists from a range of destinations can help to minimise risk and diversify income. This way, if for some reason one country does not send many tourists (for example due to political or economic problems) then the host country still has visitors arriving from other countries.

On average, inbound tourists spend more money than domestic tourists. This money then helps boost the economy of the host country.

When we travel overseas we typically book further in advance than if we booked a domestic trip. This allows tourism organisations more time to plan.

Foreign income can really help to boost the economy of a country. Therefore foreign tourists are often welcomed. This especially applies to tourists who come from destinations where the currency is strong (e.g. Britain, USA, Europe, Australia).

Other posts that you might be interested in: – What is tourism? A definition of tourism – The history of tourism – The structure of the tourism industry – Stakeholders in tourism – Dark tourism explained – What is ABTA and how does it work? – The economic impacts of tourism

There are also some disadvantages of inbound tourism.

The main disadvantage of inbound tourism is that the destination is at the mercy of the transport network.

There are many cases of tourism industries being decimated because an airline has stopped operating a particular route.

Inbound tourism can also lead to culture clashes.

For example, British tourists who travel to Dubai are often not aware of Muslim cultural practices. As such, it is common for the local population to be offended by the tourist’s behaviour. In Dubai there are many signs up in the malls, for instance, that requests tourists cover up and dress appropriately .

In conclusion, it can be seen that inbound tourism is a highly effective way for a country to make money from tourism. Whilst this does take some careful management and planning, there are many countries throughout the world who have successful and thriving inbound tourism industries.

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Understanding Inbound Tourism: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome to the world of travel and tourism, where the concept of inbound tourism plays a crucial role in shaping the industry. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve deep into the definition, significance, trends, and impact of inbound tourism on destinations around the globe. Whether you are a seasoned travel professional or an enthusiastic traveler, understanding inbound tourism is essential to grasp the dynamics of the travel industry.

What is Inbound Tourism?

Inbound tourism refers to the act of traveling to a destination by individuals who are not residents of that destination. In simpler terms, it involves tourists visiting a country or region that is different from their place of origin. This form of tourism encompasses a wide range of activities, including sightseeing, cultural exploration, leisure travel, business trips, and more.

One of the key characteristics of inbound tourism is that it involves foreign visitors who contribute to the economy of the destination they are visiting. These visitors bring in revenue through various means such as accommodation, dining, transportation, shopping, and other tourism-related activities. Inbound tourism is a significant driver of economic growth and development for many countries, making it a vital component of the global tourism industry.

The Significance of Inbound Tourism

Inbound tourism plays a pivotal role in the economic, social, and cultural development of destinations worldwide. Here are some key reasons why inbound tourism is significant:

• Economic Impact: Inbound tourism generates revenue for the host destination through spending on accommodations, food, transportation, and other services. This revenue contributes to the local economy, creates jobs, and supports small businesses.
• Cultural Exchange: Inbound tourism promotes cultural exchange and understanding between different countries and cultures. Tourists have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local customs, traditions, and way of life, fostering mutual respect and appreciation.
• Infrastructure Development: The influx of foreign tourists often leads to improvements in infrastructure such as airports, roads, hotels, and attractions. These developments benefit both tourists and local residents, enhancing the overall quality of life in the destination.
• Promotion of Heritage and Natural Resources: Inbound tourism can help raise awareness about the importance of preserving heritage sites, natural landscapes, and wildlife. Tourists often visit destinations to experience their unique cultural and natural attractions, creating incentives for conservation efforts.

Trends in Inbound Tourism

The landscape of inbound tourism is constantly evolving, influenced by changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, global events, and economic factors. Here are some notable trends shaping the world of inbound tourism:

• Emerging Destinations: As travelers seek new and authentic experiences, emerging destinations are gaining popularity among tourists. These destinations offer unique attractions, cultural heritage, and natural beauty, attracting visitors looking for off-the-beaten-path experiences.
• Digital Transformation: The rise of digital platforms and online booking systems has transformed the way travelers research, plan, and book their trips. Online travel agencies, review websites, and social media influencers play a significant role in shaping travelers' decisions and preferences.
• Sustainable Tourism: There is a growing emphasis on sustainable tourism practices that minimize the environmental impact of travel and support local communities. Eco-friendly accommodations, responsible tour operators, and conservation initiatives are becoming increasingly important for travelers seeking ethical travel experiences.
• Personalized Experiences: Travelers are increasingly looking for personalized and customized experiences that cater to their interests and preferences. From tailored itineraries to unique accommodations, the demand for personalized travel experiences is driving innovation in the tourism industry.

The Impact of Inbound Tourism

The impact of inbound tourism extends beyond economic benefits, influencing various aspects of destination development and community well-being. Here are some key areas where inbound tourism has a significant impact:

• Employment Opportunities: Inbound tourism creates job opportunities in sectors such as hospitality, transportation, retail, and tour operations. These jobs provide income for local residents and contribute to the overall prosperity of the destination.
• Cultural Preservation: Tourism can help preserve and promote the cultural heritage of a destination by showcasing traditional crafts, performing arts, cuisine, and festivals. Cultural tourism initiatives support local artisans, performers, and cultural institutions, preserving traditions for future generations.
• Infrastructure Development: The demand from tourists drives investments in infrastructure projects such as airports, roads, public transportation, and tourist facilities. These developments benefit both tourists and local residents, improving accessibility and quality of life.
• Environmental Conservation: Sustainable tourism practices promote the protection of natural resources, wildlife habitats, and ecosystems. Responsible tourism initiatives aim to minimize the environmental footprint of travel activities and raise awareness about conservation efforts.

Inbound tourism is a dynamic and multifaceted aspect of the global travel industry, influencing economies, cultures, and communities around the world. By understanding the definition, significance, trends, and impact of inbound tourism, stakeholders in the travel industry can make informed decisions and contribute to sustainable tourism development. As the world continues to evolve, inbound tourism will play a vital role in shaping the future of travel and creating memorable experiences for travelers worldwide.

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A compilation of data on inbound tourism by country, including data on international tourist arrivals, international tourism receipts and international tourism exports.

COUNTRY PROFILE – INBOUND TOURISM

In order to better understand inbound tourism, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched a dashboard on country profiles with data on inbound tourism. The dashboard includes data on:

• International tourist arrivals
• International tourism receipts
• International tourism exports
• Comparison of destinations
• Ranking of indicators on inbound tourism

Inbound tourism

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UNWTO defines inbound tourism as all incoming nonresident arrivals to a targeted destination . Evidentially, the literature applies and reflects this interpretation in discourses pertaining to international tourists. The foremost choice of travel mode among inbound tourists is by air, closely followed by road, and, peripherally, by water and rail . While their primary purposes are leisure , recreation , and holidaying, secondary reasons include health, religion, and visiting friends and relatives. Business, conference, and profession-related arrivals account for a further one eighth of global inbound traffic (UNWTO 2013 ). To maximize their use of time and money, inbound tourists prefer all-inclusive packages to multiple destinations. The innumerable options and preferences lend to two forms of inbound tourism: institutionalized (group/individual mass, psychocentric) and noninstitutionalized (informal, drifter, allocentric).

The importance of inbound tourism is acknowledged in the world’s...

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Cortes-Jimenez, I., and M. Pulina 2010 Inbound Tourism and Long-run Economic Growth. Current Issues in Tourism 13:61-74.

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Dwyer, L., and P. Forsyth 1993 Assessing the Benefits and Costs of Inbound Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 20:751-768.

Sahli, M., and J. Nowak 2007 Does Inbound Tourism Benefit Developing Countries? A Trade Theoretic Approach. Journal of Travel Research 45:426-434.

UNWTO 2013 Tourism Highlights. Madrid: World Tourism Organization.

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Singh, S. (2016). Inbound tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01384-8_563

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Inbound visits and spend: annual, regional, released on:.

17 May 2024

Next release:

to be confirmed

For further information, please contact [email protected] .

NOTE: The Office for National Statistics have made improvements to the estimates for the UK’s nations and regions from 2023. This was also applied on previous data from 2019-2022. These improvements have led to small changes (<4%) across visits, spend and nights when comparing the old and revised datasets at the UK nations and regions level across 2019-2022. Larger changes may be seen when cross tabulating the data by other characteristics. Please note, the outputs under ‘further analysis’ contain old regional data from 2019-2022 and we will be replacing these shortly.

Report highlights

• The majority of nations and regions saw growth in inbound visits vs 2022 but remained below 2019 levels. Most also saw record spend in nominal terms.
• Of the 38.0m inbound visit to the UK in 2023, London received a little over half (53%). This is in line with the proportions of visits received prior to COVID-19 and 2022. Visitors to London spent a record £16.7bn in the capital in 2023, up 6% on 2019 and up 18% vs 2022.
• The most visited England regions (excluding London) in 2023 were the South East (4.3m visits), the North West (3.4m visits) and the South West (2.4m visits). Of the English regions (outside London), the South East (£2.5bn spend), the North West (£2.2bn spend) and the South West (£1.5bn spend) reported the largest value.
• Scotland posted the strongest recovery and was the only nation/region to surpass 2019 levels at a record 4.0m visits in 2023. Inbound visitors spent a record setting £3.6bn in Scotland, up 41% vs 2019 and up 13% vs 2022.
• Although visits to Wales were 13% below 2019 levels, it did show the strongest recovery vs 2022 (up 30% vs 2022 with 892,000 visits). Visitors to Wales spent £458 million in 2023, still below pre-pandemic levels (-11%) but higher than in 2022 (16%).

Please note these are the final 2023 estimates. In the summary report, you can find further detail on English regions. See the results for Q4 2023 and view the UK total summary for 2023.

View the latest report

Ips nations and regions summary 2023 (published 17 may 2024).

Access the final estimates for 2023 in our summary report which covers headlines and distribution by UK nation and English regions.

IPS Nations and Regions data, pivot tables 2019-2023 (Published 17 May 2024)

Download the data in Excel and explore the detail in the pre-built pivot tables.

Explore the Nations & Regions inbound data in full

Use our visualisations to see this data in greater depth and clarity. Filter by inbound market, UK nation, UK region, season and purpose.

Further analysis

The outputs in this section contain old regional data from 2019-2022 and we will be replacing these shortly.

IPS Regional Spread by Year 2002 - 2022 pivot tables

IPS counties by purpose and country 2009-2022 pivot table

IPS counties by purpose and accommodation 2022

About the survey

The International Passenger Survey (IPS) is a continuous survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It covers all major air, sea and tunnel ports, providing detailed information on the numbers and types of visits made by people travelling to and from the UK.

From January to June 2022, the ONS was unable to restart interviewing at Eurotunnel due to COVID-19 restrictions so data for those travelling via this port is excluded for this time period. Interviewing at Eurostar was not affected by COVID-19 restrictions during this period. The ONS restarted IPS interviews at all ports from July 2022.

An important note about the survey’s methodology when interpreting regional data:

• Visitors who spend at least one night in the UK during their trip are asked where they stayed. This information can be aggregated to look at the number of visits, nights, and spending in different regions, cities, and towns.
• Information at the regional level is often based on very small sample sizes, and as such should be treated with extreme caution, and used solely as an indicative estimate. The IPS is a national survey, and is not designed to be statistically robust at the regional level.
• Visitors often spend nights in more than one location during their trip. This means that ‘visits’ values for different regions will not sum to the national total – for example a visitor from the US making a single visit to the UK could be counted as making a ‘staying visit’ to London, to Edinburgh and to Chester.
• The data includes a ‘Total UK’ category, representing the true national total for visits. 
• ‘Double counting’ is not an issue when looking at visitor nights or spending.
• No information is recorded about where visitors arriving or departing the UK on the same day travel during their trip, nor is information recorded about where ‘staying visitors’ go for ‘day trips’. If a visitor from France spends four nights in Edinburgh, they may take a day trip to St Andrews and another to Stirling, but this information will not be recorded in the IPS.

A note on the English regions

Data for each of the English regions can be viewed individually, or at an aggregated level. The aggregated levels available are:

• Rest of England: all regions outside London combined.
• England’s North Country: North East, North West and Yorkshire combined.
• Central England: West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England combined.
• Southern England: South East and South West combined.

Please see About IPS for further information and the ONS .

Related resources

• Explore the latest quarterly data at the total level and by region .
• See the latest full annual dataset at the total level.
• View the latest inbound trends by UK town .
• Take a look at the latest inbound tourism forecast .
• See activities undertaken i Britain’s nations and regions on the activities page .

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What is Inbound and Outbound Tourism?

by Hammad Ur Rehman | Oct 25, 2021 | Travel Guide | 6 comments

Don’t you just love traveling around the world and exploring different places? Staying or visiting different countries or states for the sake of fun-filled holidays or work-related visits, are termed tourism. Tourism can be of two types, Inbound tourism or Outbound Tourism. Now the question arises that what is inbound and outbound tourism?

Well, the difference between the two is just a matter of perspective, that is, from where and how you see it. In simple words, if we look from the USA tourism perspective, the outbound tourism would be Robert going to Pakistan, while inbound tourism would be, Ali coming to the USA. Similarly, if we look from a Pakistani tourism perspective, the outbound tourism would be Ali going to the USA, and the inbound tourism would be, Robert coming to Pakistan.

Let’s move on and further elaborate on these two types of tourism.

What is Inbound tourism?

Inbound tourism is economically significant for a country. The tourist countries economically rely on the inbound visitors to drive their maintenance, growth, and development.

What exactly is inbound tourism? In easy words, you can call it incoming tourism. Let’s move further to see the definitions, meanings, significance, drawbacks, and examples of inbound tourism.

Definition of inbound tourism

When someone travels to a country, other than their own country, for tourism, this is called inbound tourism.

Inbound tourism is frequently influenced by certain factors like:

• Season or Weather
• Public holidays
• School’s summer or winter vacations

According to WTO (World Trade Organization) and UN (United States Nation), inbound tourism can be defined as follows:

“ The act of traveling to another country for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, or other purposes .”

Importance of inbound tourism

Through foreign exchange, tourism may bring a lot of wealth into a country. This is especially advantageous in places where the local exchange rate is cheaper as compared to visitors’ native currency. Therefore, inbound tourism has high significance in many countries mainly because of the benefits it provides economically.

Mostly, countries target specific nations for advertising and promoting their inbound tourism. For instance, in today’s era, Chinese people tend to spend more on traveling every year as compared to any other nation, plus, the greatest outbound tourism markets are also produced by China. Therefore, Chinese inbound tourists are highly in demand by many tourist countries.

Drawbacks of inbound tourism

Depending entirely on income from the inbound tourism may cause problems. There are many places like Maldives, Goa, Fairy meadows, Greece, etc., whose economies rely on tourists from other countries.

The primary drawback of inbound tourism is that the place is at the hands of the transportation network. Many tourism industries have been ravaged as a result of airlines ceasing to operate a specific route. Cultural conflicts can also take place due to inbound tourism.

Some other disadvantages of inbound tourism include:

• Disposal, contamination, and emissions are all on the rise.
• Environmental and aquatic habitats are being physically harmed on a daily basis.
• Inappropriate buildings are being built next to historical places and monuments.
• Plenty of resources are being used up.
• Building infrastructure and utilization of land.

Inbound Tourism examples

Now that we have a basic understanding of inbound tourism, let’s look at some practical examples.

If a person from one country travels to another country for tourism, then it’s an inbound tourist. For example, Ali is having a summer break from his university and wants to go abroad. So, he decides to go for tourism to France and enjoys his summer break there. This is an example of inbound tourism because Ali is coming from Pakistan to France for his vacation, and it is a tourist activity for him.

Likewise, Robert is also having a summer break from his school and wants to visit another country. So, he decides to go for tourism to Pakistan and enjoys his summer break there. This is also an example of inbound tourism because Robert is coming from America to Pakistan for his vacation, and it’s a tourist activity for him.

Generally, some of the countries that are renowned for inbound tourism include Maldives, Goa, Greece, etc.

What is outbound tourism?

Leaving your homeland for the sake of gaining international tourism experience has wide importance for many countries.

Let’s jump into detail and find out what is outbound tourism, how do we define it, the importance of outbound tourism has it got any disadvantages, and a few examples of outbound tourism.

Definition of outbound tourism

When a tourist travels or visits outside his or her country for the sake of tourism, but not for more than a year. This type of tourism is called outbound tourism.

The WTO (World Trade Organization) and UN (United States Nation) define outbound tourism as follows, “The act of leaving your home country internationally for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes.”

Throughout the years, the market for outbound tourism has grown significantly. However, different regions of the world have different growth rates of the tourism market, but the factors leading to progress are similar.

Importance of outbound tourism

Outbound tourism also has a positive impact on the economy of the county. It provides economic improvements in a variety of industries such as education, healthcare, business, and retail, etc.

For example, the more people travel to foreign nations, the more their demands for products and services increase. Thus, it is a source of economic growth and prosperity for many countries.

This direction of tourism helps in increasing employment opportunities, foreign currency earnings, and trade balance. Thus, it is a source of economic growth and prosperity for many countries.

Within a very short period, China has become the largest source of outbound tourists. The increasing number of Chinese outbound tourists opens the gate of opportunities for tour group operating companies, hotels, national government ad retailers.

Drawbacks of outbound tourism

Apart from the advantages, there are a few disadvantages of outbound tourism as well. These drawbacks include the following:

• Many outbound tourists spend a huge amount of money on international chains like KFC fast-food chains, which reduces the positive effects of tourism as the tourist is using money that has been taken out of his residence.
• ·Sometimes, a country relies far too much on its outbound tourism market. For example, some Caribbean island nations depend on money from tourists to fund their entire economy and government, but this is a risky move as the tourism market is highly inconsistent, and a small incident can lead to a large drop in tourism.

Outbound tourism examples

Let’s go through an example of outbound tourism from the USA point of view:

John is a US citizen and has a passport to the USA. He wants to go for tourism so he can explore the international culture and experience new things. So, he goes for a tour to Spain with his family and friends. This is an example of outbound tourism because John has applied for a tourist visa and is traveling outside his country, USA.

Another example of outbound tourism from Spain’s perspective:

Robert is a tourist from Spain who wants to go for tourism in the USA, but he has no American visa. So, he goes for a tour to the UK with his family and friends. This is an example of outbound tourism because Robert has applied for a tourist visa and is traveling outside his country, Spain.

What is domestic tourism?

Until here, we discussed international inbound and outbound tourism. However, tourism can also be domestic. Now you would want to ask what is domestic tourism ?

Well, it’s very simple. In domestic tourism, the tourist visits different regions, cities, or towns of the same country where he/she resides. In easy words, domestic tourism is vacations spent within the same country you live in.

Let me give you an example of domestic tourism, Sarah lives in California, USA, and for her vacations, she visits Pennsylvania, USA.

Domestic tourism is used by the government to eradicate poverty, economic development, production of employments, infrastructure upgrades, reduce the load from overcrowding. For instance, If the government of California promotes domestic tourism within its state, then more people would come to visit various places in California, which are less popular, and it would boost the economy of California by providing employment opportunities to the people.

Also Learn: Domestic vs International Travel

Final Thoughts

In general, tourism contributes significantly to international trade and the provision of job opportunities in many nations. I hope this article has provided you with a clear picture of what are the types of tourism and why are they significant. All types of tourism are important for the economic growth of any nation.

Check our article on: What is FIT And GIT in The Tourism

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Global Tourism Statistics 2024:Facts and Forecasts

Home » Blog » Global Tourism Statistics 2024:Facts and Forecasts

After the massive hit of the COVID-19 pandemic, global tourism’s future and trends tend to move towards an upward shift. This paradigm shift has a gigantic impact on tourism and related activities. So, we will delve more into Global Tourism Statistics 2024:Facts and Forecasts today.

There was a subsequent rise in GDP after the COVID-19 pandemic period . Statista predicted in 2022 that the tourism industry will get back on track as tourists tend to be inbound and outbound from place to place.

Table of contents

Global tourism analysis, global tourism statistics 2019, global tourism statistics 2020, global tourism statistics 2021, global tourism statistics 2022, global tourism statistics 2023, global tourism statistics 2024 | predictive analysis, international tourist arrivals in 2024.

• Global Tourism Contributions to GDP 2024

Global Tourism Growth Rate 2024

Global tourism revenue growth rate 2024.

The tourism industry and activities started to flourish after the pandemic. The number started to rise again. Global Tourism Statistics predicted that the travel and tourism business will experience 18% growth in 2024.

This is the highest point after the pandemic period. Hotel bookings, travel, and tourism businesses are expected to reach new heights. Experts suggest it’s the best time to start your own travel agency business.

• International tourist arrivals worldwide were around 95,000 at the beginning of 2019.
• The growth rate of tourist arrivals was slower.
• Nearly $1.9 trillion was spent by tourists in 2019.
• Travel receipts were around $9.3 billion in 2019.

Global Tourism was about $8.9 trillion in 2019 . Tourists love to explore beautiful countries. And popular destinations. France tends to hold the Number 1 position in 2019 as more than 90 million tourists visit the country.

(Top 5 visited countries 2019)

Moreover, 2019 tourism was slightly disturbed by covid 19 from July. However, there were many popular destinations loved by tourists worldwide. 

In 2019, the total spending on world tourism reached a peak of $1.86 trillion, showing a growth of 1.81% compared to the previous year. 

This indicates that people tend to spend more on travel and tourism activities, contributing to the overall tourism industry’s economic enhancement. 

The increase in spending suggests a continued interest and investment in tourism experiences on a global scale.

There was a massive decline in the travel and tourism industry in 2020. The tourism industry declined by more than 67% compared to the previous year . This makes one of the greatest downward shifts in the tourism industry ever recorded after subsequent time.

Pacific island Fiji tends to face an economic crisis because of a decline in tourist and tourism activities. Countries relying totally on tourism were more affected this year.

From January to May 2020. International tourist arrivals declined by more than 56% similarly in April it was recorded with a decline of 97%.

(Decline in international tourist arrivals 2019 vs 2022))

The limited movement of people from place to place results in a massive loss for the aviation industry as well. 

Air passenger was reduced by almost 60.2% compared to 2019 . This creates the worst conditions for the airline industry. Among many industries airline industry was one of the most impacted as there was a decline in tourist flow.

• GDP of tourism ( 2.9 of GDP)  $624.7 billion was declined to $356.8 (1.7 of GDP) making it the greatest downfall of all time in tourism history.
• Total number of visitors in 2020 was comparatively low compared with the past 10 years of data.
• Tourism-dependent countries faced a major economic crisis.

Overall global tourism in 2020 didn’t grow that well the unpredictable circumstance has resulted in a massive decline in the GPD as well. There were approximately 1.5 billion tourist arrivals in 2019 and the number declined by more than 75% in 2020 the estimated tourist arrival in 2020 was around 381 million only. Compared with the 2019 tourist arrival the data fluctuation is very high.

The Tourism industry has gone through numerous uptrends and downtrends throughout the period. 2019 ended and 2020 was considered one of the most challenging years for the whole tourism industry. Regarding 2021 the tourism industry starts to rise at a minimal speed. 

In 2021 tourism industry start to gain speed at a minimal rate according to the popular data analytical site Statista. Global tourism worldwide increased by 4% in 2021 compared to 2020.

Matter of fact the international tourist arrival was 79% down compared with the 2019 tourist inbound data.

Recovering from the mass decline of 2020 the tourism industry started to increase with several 64.4% in 2021. The travel and tourism increment number in 2020 was only 50.7% 

(Decline in international tourist arrivals)

In 2021, the US had 22.1 million inbound arrivals, which is a 15% increase from 2020 and a 72% decrease from 2019.

• Overall increment in the tourism industry was recorded at more than 64.4 %
• Export revenues from international tourism dropped 59%.
• In 2021, the travel and tourism industry’s share of GDP increased from 1.54% in 2020 to 2.15% in 2021. 
• Compared to 2019 the contribution of GDP was still down in 2021 ( 49.1% ) only.
• Recovering from the pandemic travel and tourism businesses tend to increase by more than 362 billion dollars.

Regarding 2021 tourism status it has shown a little increment in terms of number compared with the 2020 data. The industry recorded a substantial 64.4% growth , surpassing the incremental rate in 2020.

Export revenues dropped by 59%, while the industry’s share of GDP improved from 1.54% in 2020 to 2.15% in 2021 . Despite signs of recovery, the sector has not reached its growth level in 2020.

Comparing the tourism condition with the year 2021 the number and data start to shift toward an upward curve. Analyzing the data deeply in 2022 total international tourism receipt reached the threshold of $1 trillion which is massive compared to the 2022 number.

However, the total receipts were still not able to reach the number of pre-pandemic. In 2022 more than 900 million tourists travel internationally. 

International tourist spending reached 64% of pre-pandemic levels. 2022 start to maintain sort of momentum to reach the peak point of travel and tourism activities.

   (Travel and tourism contribution over GDP from 2019 to 2022 )

• The total earned export revenue was still below the line ( 34 % ) below pre pre-pandemic level.
• $7.7 trillion contribution to global GDP
• Significant growth in spending of international visitors ( about 20.4% increment )
• 2022 travel and tourism generated more than 22 million new jobs . Significantly high in number compared to 2021 data.

The travel and tourism sector ultimately makes a contribution of 7.7 trillion dollars to global gross domestic product ( GDP ). The number is shifting in an upward trend compared with other previous years. 

The 2022 travel and tourism activities maintained a pace of recovery mode. The industry maintained to level up from the previous year. As it intends to create more jobs and contribute more to the global economy and GDP.

All the dimensions of the tourism industry in 2022  start to evolve and grow over time. Ultimately the revenue received from tourists hit a whopping $1 trillion and more than 900 million people travel globally.

The travel industry solely created millions of jobs and contributed to overall economic growth.

Popular website for travel and tourism data stated that more than 975 million tourists were traveling internationally in the year 2023. Compared with 2021 and 2022 this year seems to be beneficial for travel and tourism industries.

In the first quarter of 2023, there is a spike in the growth of tourist arrivals. International tourist arrival reached 80% of pre-pandemic level. This states that the year 2023 is a sort of recovery year for the tourism industry. After years the industry was able to reach this point.

The travel and tourism industry somehow was able to reach progress similar to the year 2019. Travel bookings were up r oughly 31% at the end of March 2023 compared to the same time in 2019.

The travel and tourism health progress up to 87% in the year 2023. The USA tends to be a prime actor as it was able to accumulate more than $190.39 billion U.S. dollars.

Followed by the supreme country China and Canada.

China accumulated around $154.02 billion U.S. dollars followed by Canada which is $16 billion U.S. dollars.

The total gap between Canada and the USA is around $174.39 billion U.S. dollars respectively. In terms of numbers, these countries seem to do well in the tourism industry.

  (Top 5 Visited Countries 2023 )

• Over 975 million tourists traveled worldwide in 2023 ( Jan to Sep)
• The total projected contribution of travel and tourism was around $2.2 trillion U.S. dollars toward global GDP.
• The total international receipt projected in 2023 was around USD 1.4 trillion .
• Compared with other years in 2023, there were more than 171 nights spent compared to 2022. 
• Rise in tourist traveling rate results into increment in increment in hotel occupancy rate up to 10% higher compared to the previous year.

Airline industries also tend to bounce back as revenues reach more than   $803 billion , Comparatively it’s higher than 2022 as it reached around 9.7%.

Certain external factors do impact the travel business globally. The economic sanctions on Russia by different nations have resulted in delays in travel and tourism as well. Similarly, the zero COVID strategy promulgated by China has also affected the tourism industry overall.

The momentum of global tourism could potentially shift to an upward curve if all external factors don’t interrupt travel and tourism activities.

2024 is regarded as one of the important years for the travel and tourism sector. As the impact of COVID-19 started to overcome the travel and tourism business all across the world started to gain momentum throughout the time.

There are thorough predictions made for 2024 tourism. Multiple analyses tend to show potential opportunities for the tourism sector. From 2019 to 2023 the industry of tourism was scattered by COVID-19 after the interference of COVID-19 the cycle of 2024 tourism got into rollercoaster rides.

However, global tourism spending is predicted to reach $2 trillion in 2024 . After a long period, it’s predicted that international travel trips will exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2024, marking a 3% increase from 2019 .

The overall tourism market will get to a new level. The prediction is that the travel and tourism market will reach $927.30 billion in 2024 . Which is one of the big numbers compared to the previous year’s global tourism statistics.

After lot’s of ups and downs finally the travel and tourism industry is getting into momentum. It’s expected that tourist arrivals in 2024 will increase by 17.23% from the past year i.e. 2023. If the industry can meet the expectation there will be massive changes in the overall tourism business.

• The expected international tourists is about 1.53 billion which is significantly large compared to the previous year.
• the GDP contribution by tourism in 2024 will be 10.6%
• Year-to-year growth in 2024 will be increased by a large number as expectation of over 17.24 % is made.
• Ultimately the revenue will be around US 9.4 billion American dollars .

In 2024, the travel and tourism industry is on the rise after facing challenges. There’s a big anticipation of a 17.23% increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2023.

  (International Tourist Arrival in 2024 )

If this expectation is met, it could bring significant positive changes to the overall tourism business.

The projected number of international tourists for 2024 is a substantial 1.53 billion, a noteworthy increase from the previous year.

The industry’s contribution to the global GDP in 2023 was 10.6%. Looking ahead, there’s an optimistic year-to-year growth forecast of over 17.24% in 2024.

In terms of revenue, the industry is expected to generate around US $9.4 billion . These promising figures indicate a strong recovery and growth for the travel and tourism sector in the coming year.

Global Tourism Contributions to GDP 2024

The travel and tourism industry is getting on track after facing challenges in recent years. For 2024, there is an optimistic growth outlook:

• Tourist arrivals are expected to increase by 17.23% from 2023 . If this matches the expectations, it could bring major positive impacts for the overall tourism business.
• International tourist projections sit at a substantial 1.53 billion for 2024, a significant jump from the previous year’s numbers.
• The industry contributed 10.6% to global GDP in 2023.
• For 2024, year-over-year growth forecasts are a promising 17.24%, indicating strong momentum.
• In terms of revenue generation, the travel sector could reach around USD 9.4 billion.

  (2024 Global Tourism Contribution To GDP)

These numbers and projections point to a rapid recovery and expansion period for international and domestic travel over the coming year.

More people are expected to take vacations and business trips that could greatly benefit tour operators, hotels, airlines, and other travel entities after facing struggles not too long ago.

If the above expectations and forecasts are fulfilled, 2024 is shaping up to be a beneficial year for travel and tourism when looking at tourist arrivals, GDP contributions, growth percentages, and total revenue creation. There seems to be renewed optimism across the sector.

Overall ,the travel and tourism industry holds a positive growth approach in 2024 according to projections:

• Global tourism saw significant declines in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, momentum picked back up in 2022.
• For 2023, the estimated growth rate in global tourism is between 30% to 35% as the industry rebounds.
• Looking ahead to 2024 , the global tourism growth rate is forecasted to be around 34.7%.
• This would represent a noticeable jump from the expected 30-35% growth in 2023 showing sustained positive momentum.
• If 2024 hits the projected 34.7% in tourism growth , it would take global travel significantly above 2019 volumes indicating a full industry comeback has been achieved.
• This global growth also implies strong performance in major tourism markets across different regions like Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa.

  (Global Tourism Growth Rate 2024)

Ultimately, 2024 is setting up to be another very high growth year for travel globally with expectations of over one-third increase in tourism versus 2023 numbers.

So, we suggest that travel business owners be ready to create travel booking websites and generate revenue and growth substantially with huge scope.

All signals point to a sector that has recovered to pre-pandemic strength and managed to undo the large drops observed in 2020 and 2021.

International tourist arrivals are projected to reach 1.53 billion, representing a substantial recovery with an expected year-over-year growth of 17.24% from the 975 million arrivals in 2023.

After facing major challenges in 2020 and 2021, the tourism industry is all set for substantial revenue growth in 2024:

• Global tourism revenue saw a major decline of nearly 50% at the peak of the pandemic. This significantly impacted many travel businesses and destinations.
• A rebound is already underway in 2022 and is expected to continue accelerating through 2023 with an estimated 30-35% growth rate .
• For 2024, global tourism revenues are forecasted to grow around 34.7% year-over-year.
• Gaining a 34.7% revenue growth target would indicate tourism has fully recovered from the pandemic demand shock and is expanding rapidly again.

  (Global Tourism Revenue Growth 2024)

If achieved, 2024 would likely represent the highest-ever revenues for the tourism industry globally surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

The projections for a nearly 35% boost in tourism revenues globally paint an extremely optimistic picture of what lies ahead for the sector in 2024 as demand swells.

This rapid growth trajectory beyond 2023 forecasts shows tourism maintaining great momentum as a key recovery success story among industries worldwide.

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The overview for tourism in 2024 is highly positive across expected metrics. International tourist arrivals are forecasted to hit 1.5 billion, representing a rapid 17.23% increase from 2023’s estimates, elevating volumes well beyond pre-pandemic levels.

The sector’s contribution to global GDP, which recorded 10.6% in 2023, is also expected to rise considerably in 2024, reflecting its full rise in economic impact. Most notably, tourism revenues could grow up to 34.7% year-over-year, reaching around $9.4 billion globally .

This Global Tourism Statistics 2024:Facts and Forecasts would be the highest growth rate realized since before the COVID-19 downturn,, these projections point to 2024 being a standout year as the industry looks positively to completely negate pandemic losses and reach new historical highs across metrics like tourist arrivals, revenues, and GDP.

Yam Bahadur Chhetri is a content writer and vivid contributor to the WordPress community and a WordPress enthusiast with an experience of 7+ years in the relative field. He also loves to develop WordPress Themes, Plugins, and custom WordPress development for clients.

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Inbound Tourism

Date Last Updated: 04-04-2024

Survey Information

Survey name:, survey purpose:.

The purpose of the Inbound Tourism statistical series is to measure the travel patterns (trips, nights, purpose of trip, type of accommodation, expenditure, etc.) of foreign resident visitors to Ireland.

Legislative Basis National:

Not applicable

Legislative Basis European:

Regulation (EU) No 692/2011

Periodicity:

Statistical population:.

All foreign resident visitors departing Ireland on overseas air and sea routes. Foreign resident visitors who depart Ireland via Northern Ireland are not covered. Foreign resident cruise excursionists who visit Ireland are also not covered.

Sampling Frame:

A hybrid sample of sailings and flights is selected and a systematic sample of passengers on each is surveyed and their country of residence recorded. On selected flights, a 1 in 5 systematic sample of passengers is selected. On sailings, as many passengers as possible are interviewed. Sample results are grossed up to total passenger numbers provided by the airports and ferry companies.

Reference Area:

Time coverage:.

April 2023 - February 2024

Base Period:

Sector coverage:, survey size:.

The overall sample size of the Survey currently varies between 10,000 to 12,000 passenger interviews per month.

Principal Variables:

The travel patterns (trips, nights, purpose of trip, type of accommodation, expenditure, etc.) of foreign resident visitors to Ireland.

Principal External Users:

Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, National Accounts, Balance of Payments, Eurostat, Government, Economists, Academics.

Methodology & Other Quality Information

• Process Summary
• Process Model
• Survey Background Notes
• Survey Forms
• Methodological Documents
• Other Documents, Guidelines and Relevant Links
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• Data Protection Transparency Notice

Contact Details

Contact organisation:.

Central Statistics Office

Business Area:

Business Statistics

Contact Person:

Gregg Patrick

Contact Person Function:

Statistician

Other Business Area Specialists:

James Mahon

Contact email:

Tourism@cso.ie

Contact phone number:

(+353) 21 453 5000

Central Statistics Office Skehard Road, Cork T12 X00E, Ireland

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Expenditure on Inbound Tourist Trips by Purpose of Visit

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TAT and Traveloka sign Memorandum of Agreement to enhance Thai tourism promotion

The strategic collaboration covers marketing, sustainability, and data sharing to boost inbound and domestic tourism in thailand..

Bangkok, 27 May 2024 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Traveloka, Southeast Asia’s leading travel platform, today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to enhance the travel platform’s commitment to Thailand’s tourism industry. Both parties will collaborate to promote inbound and domestic tourism, including secondary destinations.

The MOA provides the legal framework for Traveloka to collaborate with the TAT on dual marketing campaigns, sustainability initiatives and travel insights. This agreement also allows Traveloka to collaborate directly with the TAT Head Office in Bangkok and all domestic and overseas offices. This will further strengthen Traveloka’s support of the Thai travel industry through its extensive reach and expertise.

Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, said , “This MOA marks a strategic collaboration with Traveloka, our long-term partner who has been supporting us in promoting secondary cities and inbound travel. The agreement will enable us to expand the scope of our partnership. In addition, this enhanced partnership with Traveloka will help solidify Thailand’s position as an industry leader in moving towards experience-based and sustainable tourism. This is in alignment with TAT’s direction to elevate Thailand’s travel industry and enhance its competitive advantage.”

The recent joint campaign, ‘Unveiling Thailand’s Treasure’, in which Traveloka played a crucial role, was successfully implemented this year. This collaboration extends TAT’s ongoing efforts to promote secondary cities and emerging destinations across Thailand.

“Traveloka is very pleased to support the policy to drive tourism for sustainable economic growth. From January to March, the campaign ‘Unveiling Thailand’s Treasure,’ in collaboration with the TAT, was highly successful in showcasing the potential of lesser-known tourist destinations to a wider audience,” Mr. Albert Albert, Traveloka Co-founder, said. “According to last year’s statistics, Traveloka saw an increase in domestic market sales, both in flights and accommodations, especially during Chinese New Year and Songkran festivals in Bangkok and its vicinity, as well as in major tourist provinces like Chiang Mai, Songkhla (Hat Yai), and Udon Thani. This reflects the continued demand for domestic travel, signalling positive growth for the local economy.”

TAT’s campaign has broadened the spectrum of tourism activities, spanning economic advantages to emerging destinations. It also promotes the exploration of secondary cities, uncovering ‘Hidden Gems’ that bring a fresh and interesting dimension to travel itineraries.

Traveloka is well positioned to support this, offering flights, accommodation, and local attractions to enhance the customers’ experiences that are available under “Attractions & Activities” in the Traveloka app. The market potential for international travellers is also substantial and drawing them to visit and explore Thailand can enhance our global standing as the go-to travel platform.

In addition, Traveloka witnessed a significant demand in the domestic market, especially as the lunar new year and Songkran holidays approached, with Bangkok Metropolitan emerging as the leading domestic source city, followed by Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, and Udon Thani. Utilising these data-driven insights will enable both parties to identify customer’s travel needs and aspirations while collaborating to promote sustainable tourism practices that contribute to the well-being of local Thai communities.

“This partnership proves the robust relationship between Traveloka and the TAT. We are confident that together we can continue to promote Thailand as a world-class travel destination,” Mr. Albert concluded.

This year, TAT has set a target of generating 3 trillion Baht, with 1.92 trillion Baht coming from international tourism and 1.08 trillion Baht from domestic tourism. Last year, Thailand welcomed 28 million visitors, generating a 1.2 trillion Baht revenue.

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Tourism is Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels, but Challenges Remain

World Economic Forum, [email protected]

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• High-income economies in Europe and Asia-Pacific continue to lead the World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Index, with the United States, Spain and Japan topping the rankings again.
• Despite post-pandemic growth, the global tourism sector still faces complex challenges, with recovery varied by region; only marginal overall score improvements since the 2021 edition.
• Developing economies are making strides – who account for 52 out of 71 economies improving since 2019 – but significant investment is needed to bridge gaps and increase market share.
• Read the report here .

New York, USA, 21 May 2024 – International tourist arrivals and the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to global GDP are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions and strong pent-up demand, as per the new World Economic Forum travel and tourism study, released today.

Topping the 2024 list of economies are the United States, Spain, Japan, France and Australia. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals (20% above the 2019 level), while Europe, Africa and the Americas all showed a strong recovery of around 90% in 2023.

These are some of the top findings of the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI) , a biennial report published in collaboration with the University of Surrey, which analyses the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies.

“This year marks a turning point for the travel and tourism sector, which we know has the capacity to unlock growth and serve communities through economic and social transformation,” said Francisco Betti, Head of the Global Industries team at the World Economic Forum. “The TTDI offers a forward-looking window into the current and future state of travel and tourism for leaders to navigate the latest trends in this complex sector and sustainably unlock its potential for communities and countries across the world.”

Post-pandemic recovery

The global tourism industry is expected to recover from the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic and surpass the levels seen before the crisis. This is largely being driven by a significant increase in demand worldwide, which has coincided with more available flights, better international openness, and increased interest and investment in natural and cultural attractions.

However, the global recovery has been mixed. While 71 of the 119 ranked economies increased their scores since 2019, the average index score is just 0.7% above pre-pandemic levels.

Although the sector has moved past the shock of the global health crisis, it continues to deal with other external challenges, from growing macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental risks, to increased scrutiny of its sustainability practices and the impact of new digital technologies, such as big data and artificial intelligence. In addition, labour shortages are ongoing, and air route capacity, capital investment, productivity and other sector supply factors have not kept up with the increase in demand. This imbalance, worsened by global inflation, has increased prices and service issues.

TTDI 2024 highlights Out of the top 30 index scorers in 2024, 26 are high-income economies, 19 are based in Europe, seven are in Asia-Pacific, three are in the Americas and one (the United Arab Emirates) is in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The top 10 countries in the 2024 edition are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy and Switzerland.

The results highlight that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This is helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions.

Nevertheless, developing countries have seen some of the greatest improvements in recent years. Among the upper-middle-income economies, China has cemented its ranking in the top 10; major emerging travel and tourism destinations of Indonesia, Brazil and Türkiye have joined China in the top quartile of the rankings. More broadly, low- to upper-middle-income economies account for over 70% of countries that have improved their scores since 2019, while MENA and sub-Saharan Africa are among the most improved regions. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the only high-income economies to rank among the top 10 most improved economies between 2019 and 2024.

Despite these strides, the TTDI warns that significant investment is needed to close gaps in enabling conditions and market share between developing and high-income countries. One possible pathway to help achieve this would be sustainably leveraging natural and cultural assets – which are less correlated with country income level than other factors – and can offer developing economies an opportunity for tourism-led economic development.

“It’s essential to bridge the divide between differing economies’ ability to build a strong environment for their travel and tourism sector to thrive,” said Iis Tussyadiah, Professor and Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. “The sector has big potential to foster prosperity and mitigate global risks, but that potential can only be fully realized through a strategic and inclusive approach.”

Mitigating future global challenges

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report, the travel and tourism sector faces various complex risks , including geopolitical uncertainties, economic fluctuations, inflation and extreme weather. Balancing growth with sustainability also remains a major problem, due to high seasonality, overcrowding, and a likely return of pre-pandemic emissions levels. The report also analyses persistent concerns about equity and inclusion. While the tourism sector offers a major source of relatively high-wage jobs, particularly in developing countries, gender parity remains a major issue for regions such as MENA and South Asia.

Despite these challenges, the sector can play a significant role in addressing them. To achieve this, decision-makers should prioritize actions such as leveraging tourism for nature conservation efforts; investing in skilled, inclusive and resilient workforces; strategically managing visitor behaviour and infrastructure development; encouraging cultural exchange between visitors and local communities; and using the sector to bridge the digital divide, among other policies.

If managed strategically, the travel and tourism sector – which has historically represented 10% of global GDP and employment – has the potential to emerge as a key contributor to the well-being and prosperity of communities worldwide.

About the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024

The 2024 edition of the TTDI includes several improvements based on newly available data and recently developed indicators on the environmental and social impact of travel and tourism. The changes made to the 2024 Index limit its comparability to the previously published TTDI 2021. This year's report includes recalculated 2019 and 2021 results, using new adjustments. TTDI 2024 reflects the latest available data at the time of collection – end of 2023. The TTDI is part of the Forum’s broader work with industry communities actively working to build a better future enabled by sustainable, inclusive, and resilient industry ecosystems.

Notes to editors

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The 2024 Beijing Inbound Tourism Development Conference was held in Beijing

Posted by Chisa Boonmee | May 28, 2024 | Conferences | 0 |

The opening ceremony saw a turnout of over 260 attendees, notably comprising more than 100 global travel business delegates, district culture and tourism bureaus, and international destination offices within the city.

Sima Hong, the vice-mayor of Beijing, delivered a keynote address at the conference, expressing Beijing’s aspirations to leverage this event for profound dialogues with global tourism industry experts. The city aims to bolster resource sharing, foster reciprocal visitor exchanges with international travel agencies, enhance cooperation, and facilitate knowledge exchange in developing premium tourism routes.

Hong emphasized that such initiatives would pave the way for a transformative tourism landscape, enabling the industry to better cater to enriching experiences, drive economic growth, and foster a deeper understanding of diverse civilizations. These efforts, he noted, are poised to create shared opportunities within the tourism market, ultimately contributing to the advancement of tourism development.

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CBP Announces a Facial Biometric Test for Inbound Vehicle Travelers at Mariposa Port of Entry

Nogales, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today the start of an innovative facial biometric test in select vehicle lanes at the Area Port of Nogales, Mariposa crossing, for travelers arriving in the United States. This enhanced process for international travel, known as Simplified Arrival biometric, uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States and provides travelers with a secure, touchless travel experience.

“We are excited to be testing this innovative technology at the Mariposa crossing,” said Area Port Director Michael Humphries. “Simplified Arrival will enhance and further secure the vehicle entry process at our land border ports of entry.”

The new technology will be deployed at three marked inbound vehicle lanes at the Mariposa POE. As travelers approach the vehicle lanes with the facial biometric system, the camera will attempt to take a photo of each occupant in the vehicle and match it to photos of those travelers already in government holdings (i.e., images such as passport, visa, or prior encounters). Travelers who wish to opt out of the biometric testing can simply use a lane not designated “Biometric,” which will be clearly marked above lanes 3, 5, and 9. At all other lanes, the traveler will have the standard document check.

CBP has a Congressional mandate to biometrically record all foreign nationals who enter and exit the United States. The addition of facial biometrics to verify an individual's identity will strengthen security by providing CBP officers greater assurance to make an informed decision about a traveler's admissibility, while preventing impostors from using a genuine travel document that does not belong to them.

CBP remains committed to protecting the privacy of all travelers. U.S. citizens who use the lanes with facial biometric technology will have their photo deleted within 12 hours of the entry inspection process. Consistent with regulatory requirements, photos of foreign nationals who are required to provide biometrics, are securely transferred and stored in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).

The biometric test will run for 4 weeks. Following, CBP will evaluate the system’s ability to capture a quality facial image for each occupant in the vehicle, as well as the efficacy of the biometric matching, to inform future biometric enhancements for vehicle entry processing.  

Travelers are not required to complete any additional CBP processing by participating in the pilot; as a result, CBP anticipates minimal impact to the traffic flow at the Mariposa POE. For more information about CBP’s efforts to further secure and streamline travel through biometric facial comparison technology, please go to www.cbp.gov/travel .

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

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Average inbound visitor's expenditure on jewelry in Japan 2018-2023

Average expenditure of inbound tourist on gemstones and precious metals in japan from 2018 to 2023 (in 1,000 japanese yen).

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2018 to 2023

expenditure of shoppers who bought gemstones and precious metals

*Data covers Q1 of 2020, no data available for the rest of the year. **No data for 2021 was published by the source. Data prior to 2023 come from previous reports. 100 Japanese yen equal 0.64 U.S. dollars or 0.6 euros as of May 2024. Values have been rounded.

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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in Latin America "

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