The Southern Mediterranean region experienced a substantial rebound in international tourist arrivals after the pandemic, distinguishing itself from other regions, according to a recent United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) report.

While international tourist arrivals declined across all regions, Southern Mediterranean, Central America, and the Caribbean demonstrated notable performance in rebounding tourism figures post-pandemic, VisaGuide.World reports.

Tourists flock to the Mediterranean for its captivating views, diverse cuisines, and authentic lifestyles, all enhanced by a well-developed infrastructure and excellent connectivity.

In 2019, the Southern Mediterranean region recorded 304.1 million international tourist arrivals, witnessing a sharp decline of 70.9 per cent to 88.4 million tourists in 2020.

Despite a 62 per cent decrease in international tourist arrivals in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic figures, the numbers rose to 138.9 million, improving from the previous year.

In 2022, while international tourist arrivals did not fully recover to pre-pandemic levels, they reached 266.7 million tourists, signifying a significant increase compared to the figures observed in 2021.

International tourism receipts amounted to €222.64 billion in 2019, and by 2022, they nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching €218.58 billion with just a 9.1 per cent drop.

The only two countries in the Mediterranean region that surpassed pre-pandemic international tourist arrival figures are Andorra and Albania.

Andorra saw a 15.1 per cent increase in international tourist arrivals, rising from 3,090,000 in 2019 to 3,555,000 in 2022, while Albania experienced a 9.9 per cent uptick, reaching 7,738,000 international tourist arrivals compared to 6,128,000 in 2019.

Israel experienced the most significant decline in international tourist recovery in the Mediterranean region, registering a 41.2 per cent decrease in 2022 compared to 2019.

The country of Israel, which welcomed 4,552,000 international tourists in 2019, observed a notable reduction in visitor numbers, with 2,675,000 international tourists recorded in 2022.

While Serbia may not be a leading destination in the Mediterranean for international tourist arrivals, it experienced a modest four per cent decrease in 2022 compared to 2019, recording 1,773,000 arrivals as opposed to 1,847,000 in the pre-pandemic year.

Interestingly, despite not fully recovering in terms of tourist numbers, there was a significant surge in international tourism receipts.

In 2019, the country garnered €13.72 million, and the figure saw a remarkable 71.6 percent increase in 2022, reaching €22.14 million.