Madrid - (AFP) - The number of foreign tourists doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year and is expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2023 thanks to the lifting of travel restrictions, especially in China, as expected by the World Tourism Organization.

The number of tourists in the world reached 917 million last year, compared to 455 million in the previous year, according to the United Nations organization, which is based in Madrid.

The organization considered that the results were "stronger than expected".

And while the number of tourists in the world last year constituted only 63% of the level recorded in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Tourism Organization expected that their number would constitute 80 to 95% in 2023.

"Looking to the future, global tourism is expected to strengthen its recovery in 2023, supported by demand, especially from Asia and the Pacific, with the opening up of markets and destinations," said the UNWTO report.

Europe, the largest tourist destination in the world, recorded the arrival of 585 million tourists last year, which constitutes approximately 80% of pre-pandemic levels.

However, the African and American continents recovered 65% of the number of visitors compared to the pre-pandemic stage, while the percentage reached only 23% in the Pacific region due to the stricter restrictions imposed in the framework of combating the pandemic.