<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">International tourist arrivals doubled in 2022 over the previous year, and should reach near pre-pandemic levels in 2023 thanks to the lifting of travel restrictions, especially in China, the UN's tourism body said Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were 917 million global tourist arrivals last year, up from 455 million in 2021, the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization said in a report, calling it "stronger than expected results".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While the number of international arrivals last year was still just 63 percent of the level posted in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the UN body predicts it could reach 80 percent to 95 percent in 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A new year brings more reason for optimism for global tourism," the body's secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said in a statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The report said international tourism is set to consolidate its recovery in 2023, backed by pent-up demand, particularly from Asia and the Pacific as destinations and markets open up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"In the short term, the resumption of travel from China is likely to benefit Asian destinations in particular," it added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"At the same time, robust demand from the United States, backed by a strong US dollar, will continue to benefit destinations in the region and beyond. Europe, in particular, will benefit."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Travel in and out of China dropped dramatically from 2019 levels under Beijing's strict Covid curbs which all-but shut China's borders for three years before they were reopened earlier this month.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The restrictions had left a gaping hole in the Asian travel market, where countries from Thailand to Japan had depended on China as their largest source of foreign visitors.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Analysts expect Chinese airlines are likely to make significant increases to capacity from the end of March, with the start of the summer scheduling season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">China was the world's largest outbound tourist market in 2019 and the removal of its virus travel restrictions "is a significant and much welcomed step to the recovery of the tourism sector," the report said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the UN body warned that high inflation and interest rates, fears of a global recession and the "uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine" could hamper the recovery of the sector in 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel close to home in response to the challenging economic environment," it added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Strong spending –</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Europe, the world's most popular destination region, recorded 585 million arrivals last year, nearly 80 percent of its pre-pandemic level, due in part to a "particularly strong" summer season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Africa and the Americas only recovered to about 65 percent of pre-pandemic visitors, while Asia and the Pacific region reached only 23 percent due to stronger pandemic-related restrictions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most destinations also recorded "notable increases" in international tourism receipts, buoyed by people going on vacation for longer periods, a willingness to spend more on travel and rising costs due to inflation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Traditional markets, like France and Germany, and emerging markets like India and Saudi Arabia, posted "strong" spending numbers last year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several destinations, including Mexico, Portugal and Romania, even reported tourism receipts above their pre-pandemic levels last year. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>