UN Tourism reports open borders on par with Pre-Pandemic times. The report illuminates the dynamic landscape of travel facilitation, featuring the Tourism Visa Openness Index, which assesses destinations’ tourism facilitation and visa accessibility. Mobility scores gauge global citizens’ susceptibility to visa policies, alongside an extensive examination of visa policy reciprocity.
Key findings reveal:
• Return to Pre-pandemic openness: International travel openness has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels post COVID-19 travel restrictions’ lift. The pandemic spurred new facilitation forms like “nomadic visas.”
• Decline in traditional visa requirements: Traditional visa necessity decreased globally from 77% in 2008 to 59% in 2018, further declining to 47% in 2023.
• Visa-exempt travel: 21% of the global population enjoys visa-exempt travel, up from 17% in 2008 and 20% in 2018.
• Visa on arrival: 14% of the global population can opt for visa on arrival, a notable rise…