UNWTO: In 2022, domestic tourism will once again outperform international tourism.

Tourist flows between countries will not recover before 2024, the organization believes.
Most experts expect global tourism to return to pre-pandemic levels no earlier than 2024, according to a report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) published on January 18.
Global tourism grew by just 4% in 2021, while international travel has fallen by 72% since 2019. As for the economic contribution, tourism brought $1.9 trillion to GDP over the past year, which is more than in 2020 ($1.6), but still significantly less than in 2019 ($3.5).
Experts predict that in 2022 international tourism may grow from 30 to 78% compared to last year, but this is still 50-63% below the pre-crisis level. At the same time, it is difficult to predict the impact of the spread of a new strain of “omicron” on the travel industry: experts fear that a new wave will further undermine the confidence of travelers in travel, as some countries reintroduce restrictions. At the same time, vaccination is uneven and many destinations remain completely closed, mainly in Asia and the Pacific. Additional pressure on the recovery of the industry, according to UNWTO experts, could also come from a difficult economic situation - higher oil prices, rising inflation, a potential increase in interest rates, high debt levels and continued disruptions in supply chains.
Overall, "the pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across regions of the world," the organization said. Meanwhile, while the international segment has just begun to "raise its head", the domestic one is becoming an incentive for the recovery of tourism, the UNWTO notes. According to experts, it is domestic tourism, as well as outdoor activities and rural tourism, that will become one of the main tourism trends in 2022.