Romania among countries with highest revenue growth from international tourism in 2023

Romania is part of a group of countries around the world that have seen the largest increases in revenue from international tourism in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The other countries are Mauritius, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey, Serbia, Pakistan, and Jordan.

The data also shows that the destinations with the highest growth in international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 compared to Q1 2019 are Qatar, with a 98% increase, followed by Saudi Arabia with a 64% increase, and Albania with a 54% increase.

"International tourism is on track to return to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people traveling in the first quarter of 2023 as in the same period in 2022," UNWTO said in a recent statement cited by Economedia.ro.

The report also notes that international tourist arrivals reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023. During this period, approximately 235 million tourists traveled worldwide, more than twice the number recorded in the first quarter of 2022.

The Middle East has shown the strongest recovery among all regions, being the only one to surpass [+15%] 2019 arrivals. Europe has recovered 90% of the pre-pandemic tourist arrivals, while Africa has reached 88%. The Americas have recovered around 85% of the 2019 levels, and Asia and the Pacific have recovered 54% of the pre-pandemic tourist arrival levels.

The report predicts a continued recovery of international tourism in 2023 "supported by strong demand, sustained air connectivity recovery, as well as the recent reopening of China and other important markets and destinations in Asia."

However, the UNWTO expert group survey indicates that the "challenging economic environment continues to be the main factor influencing the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices translating into higher transportation and accommodation costs.”

(Photo source: Masezdromaderi | Dreamstime.com)