European Tourism Reached Decade High in First Half of 2023

During a historic visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this week, Israel’s Minister of Tourism said that it is the travel industry that can thaw the frosty relations between the two countries. Haim Katz’s visit marked the most senior member of the Israeli government to visit the Gulf kingdom.

This World Tourism Day – taking place on September 27 – the hotel industry is witnessing a significant transformation with sustainability finally emerging as a crucial factor in a hotel’s success. As part of this year’s theme the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has identified green investments as a top priority for the recovery and future growth of tourism, emphasising the need for more focused and better investments for people, the planet, and prosperity.

Every year on September 27th, the United Nations observes World Tourism Day to acknowledge tourism’s significant role in promoting growth and cultural awareness. The theme for World Tourism Day 2023 is “Tourism and Green Investments,” emphasizing the importance of directing investments towards the well-being of people, the planet, and prosperity.

Heritage tourism experts grappled with complex issues of presenting culture and heritage to tourists at an international gathering of culture tourism experts 24-25 September in Valencia, Spain. Just over 100 delegates from 17 countries debated the latest issues, trends and opportunities affecting the sector, which accounts for 40% of all tourism activity, according to the UNWTO.

A Canadian man has sparked strong reactions from non-Americans on TikTok after he shared a video recapping a Europe trip that did not live up to expectations. Several angry initial commenters mistakenly assumed he was American, with one top commenter hurling "f america" in response. 

Responsible Travel has published its first major impact report, as it rolls out a carbon labelling initiative to its 479 industry partners.

Australia has recommenced visa processing for Chinese group travel, Australia’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism announced on Monday.

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office has unveiled Mekong Voices and Mekong’s Hidden Gems – captivating interviews with local tourism pioneers, and insights into less travelled ‘hidden’ destinations. Both initiatives are hosted on the new MekongTourism.org website. Mekong Voices is a series of Q&A interviews with intrepid travellers, pioneers and changemakers who are leading by example in the travel sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The dialogues delve into sustainability, resilience and innovation within the travel industry. They offer practical insights and serve as catalysts for transformative change.

The remarkable recovery of the global aviation industry in 2022 was something the majority of industry observers did not see coming. 

International tourism has continued to recover from the worst crisis in its history as arrival numbers reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels between January and July 2023, according to the latest data from UNWTO. The Middle East, Europe and Africa lead the global sector’s rebound.

U.S. tourism businesses just finished their first post-pandemic sales missions to China — their first trips in four years.

Dubai continues to pull ahead of its pre-pandemic tourism numbers. The emirate drew in 9.8 million international travelers up to July this year, according to the latest data from Dubai Tourism. For the same period in 2019, Dubai had 9.6 million international visitors, and in 2022, welcomed 8.1 million up to that point.