Africa and Middle East Travel Show Signs of Recovery

Signs of a recovery in the travel industries of Africa and the Middle East are becoming clearer to see, according to several different sources, including the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The UNWTO Tourism Recovery Tracker has found that while the global hotel occupancy rate is at 59 percent, the Middle East is seeing an occupancy rate of 64 percent. Hotel bookings for the Middle East are only 13 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels, while the global average is 40 percent lower

The numbers of inbound international travelers are largely dominated by family members and friends visiting, especially in the North Africa region, in which they account for 46 percent of all inbound arrivals. But the Middle East is seeing a larger proportion of leisure travelers, due to large events like the 2020 Dubai Expo.

Travelers to these regions are also from countries that have larger vaccination rates, easier travel conditions and flight connections; the largest three nationalities of travelers to these regions are Saudis, Emiratis and Qataris.

Both Africa and the Middle East have been incredibly impacted by the pandemic. While the Middle East seems to be recovering faster due to access to vaccines, both regions are on the path to a recovery.

For the latest insight on travel around the world, check out this interactive guide:

For the latest travel news, updates, and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.