According to the newest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals increased by 58% in July-September 2021, compared to the same period of 2020. However, they remained 64% below 2019 levels.
Europe recorded the best relative performance in the third quarter, with international arrivals 53% down on the same three-month period of 2019. In August and September arrivals were at -63% compared to 2019, the best monthly results since the start of the pandemic.
Between January and September 2021, worldwide international tourist arrivals stood at -20% compared to 2020.
UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili said data for the third quarter of 2021 was "encouraging".
"However, arrivals are still 76% below pre-pandemic levels and results across the different global regions remain uneven," he added.
In light of the emergence of the new Omicron variant, he added that "we cannot let our guard down and need to continue our efforts to ensure equal access to vaccinations, coordinate travel procedures, make use of digital vaccination certificates and continue to support the sector".
The uplift in demand was reportedly driven by increased traveller confidence amid progress on vaccinations and the easing of entry restrictions in many destinations.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate was said to have helped facilitate free movement within the European Union, releasing "significant pent-up demand" after months of restricted travel.
Arrivals in January-September 2021 were only 8% below the same period of 2020 yet still 69% below 2019.
Despite the improvement seen in the third quarter of the year, the pace of recovery reportedly remains slow and uneven across world regions, due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence.
Despite recent improvements, the UNWTO said "uneven vaccination rates" around the world and new Covid-19 strains could impact the already "slow and fragile" recovery.
The economic strain caused by the pandemic could also weigh on travel demand, aggravated by the recent spike in oil prices and disruption of supply chains.
According to the latest UNWTO data, international tourist arrivals are expected to remain 70% to 75% below 2019 levels in 2021, a similar decline as in 2020.
