14 countries reach first quarter 2019 arrivals levels, for the same period in 2023
According to a Travel Health Index carried out in May 2023 by ‘Skift’, which is one of the largest industry intelligence platform providing media, insights and marketing to key sectors of travel, all indications seem to point towards a full global travel recovery. Interestingly, 20 countries have fully recovered, with 14 out of them matching or even surpassing pre-pandemic performance – notably, that of the January to March 2019 levels. Skift reckons that more countries will soon surpass the 2019 levels as the year unravels with travel recovery gaining traction.
Some countries though, such as Hong Kong, having reached 73% of the 2019 first quarter performance and Russia with 65%, may take much longer. Sri Lanka too falls within this group of slowly recovering countries, with the island’s total visitors count (between January and March 2023), reflecting just 45% of the total visitors who came over that of the same period, in 2019. By the end of the second quarter of 2023, the island’s aggregate arrivals count is most likely to reach 60 % of the total visitors count for the same period in year 2019.
As of the first quarter (Jan – Mar) of 2023, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked first on the index, overtaking 2019 travel performance by 18%. Turkey was in second place having exceeded its 2019 arrival figures by 16%.
Incidentally, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) projects the UAE to meet its 2019 peak this year, contributing AED 180.6 billion to the UAE’s economy, getting almost close to the 2019 high of AED 183.4 billion.
The Middle East was the only region to surpass 2019 (Jan – March) levels of inbound tourism, with Europe, America and Africa yet to catch up - falling short of their 2019 levels, by, -11%, -13% and -14%, respectively. Lagging far behind is the Asia Pacific region at - 43%; despite India, Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and Indonesia all having fully recovered.
All five regions have exceeded total inbound tourism figures in 2023, when compared to the same period (January to March) in 2022. Leading the way is the Asia Pacific region which has surpassed 2022’s total by +474%, in the first quarter of this year when compared to the same period last year. While on the one hand, it provides evidence that the Asia Pacific region was hit the hardest by the pandemic, its post-pandemic growth appears robust on the other.
In contrast, Sri Lanka’s first quarter figures in 2023 show a +118% growth over that of the same period in 2022, (estimated to become+ 150% by end of second quarter) – further testimony to the country’s slow recovery.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
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