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Issue No. 72Official figures from 3 national officesFree to read, free to cite

World Tourism Monitor

How Middle East travelled in December 2020
August 2026Complete2 countries reportedA complete issue. Nearly every country that counts August has published it.
September 2026First figures19 countries in so farThe quickest countries publish within a few weeks of a month ending; most follow a month or so later.
October 2026Under wayStill happeningNo country can count a month before it ends. The first figures arrive about three weeks after it closes.Today
Of the 123 countries counted monthly, 19 publish within a month of it ending and 55 within two.Why is the latest issue August?So a month is judged on most countries, not a fewCountries count visitors at borders and in hotels, then check the figures before publishing. The Monitor waits until most are in. Statistics offices and banks work to the same calendar.
Middle East editionArchive issue3 countriesTrust index 864 min read

Middle East-92.8% on a year, 7.2% of 2019

Growing0 of 3 countries compared

Biggest gainerJordan -84.2%

Biggest loserIsrael -96.3%

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Issue No. 72 · December 2020 · archive issue

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Tourism API (n.d.). World Tourism Monitor, Issue No. 72, Middle East edition, December 2020. https://tourismapi.com/monitor/2020-12/middle-east

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The lead

Middle East travel down 92.8% on a year in December 2020

The Monitor deskFrom 3 national offices4 min read

Middle East travel in December 2020 ran 92.8% down on a year before across the 3 countries that have published, at 7.2% of the 2019 level. 0 of 3 grew. Jordan led the risers (-84.2%) and Israel fell furthest (-96.3%).

The map

    Each tile is a country, placed roughly where it sits on the globe. Pale tiles have no figure this month. Hover a tile for its numbers; click it for the country.

    Since 2015

    12 years of Middle East on the move, one issue a month

    The Monitor reaches back to January 2015: every month since, for the world and five regions, rebuilt from the figures each national office has published. Through the boom, the 2020 collapse and the recovery, the whole run is here to read, download and cite.

    140monthly issues
    829world and regional editions
    12years, 2015 to 2026
    3countries in this issue
    6editions every month
    0501002019 = 10072.8% of 2019January 2015April 20200.4% of 2019Back past 2019May 202271.9%August 2026201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
    2015Issue No. 1 in January 2015, at 72.8% of the 2019 level.
    2019The benchmark year: every issue since measures against it.
    2020April 2020 falls to 0.4% of 2019, the deepest month on record.
    2022May 2022 passes 2019 again, at 103.2%.
    2026August 2026 stands at 71.9% of 2019.
    Every back issue is free to read. The full index as data is on the Developer plan.
    Browse every issueGet the index

    Regions

    Five regions, five papers

    Each region has its own edition every month, with its own map, movers and records. Open one to read it in full.

    Africa-17.4%

    South Africa led at -2.6%, Gambia trailed at -72.5%.

    3 countries → Read the Africa edition    Americas-84.3%

    Dominican Republic led at -44.2%, Cayman Islands trailed at -98.2%.

    24 countries → Read the Americas edition    Europe-90.3%

    Luxembourg led at -40.6%, Austria trailed at -98.3%.

    35 countries → Read the Europe edition    Middle East-92.8%

    Jordan led at -84.2%, Israel trailed at -96.3%.

    3 countries → Read the Middle East edition    Asia Pacific-98.7%

    Maldives led at -43.7%, Thailand trailed at -99.8%.

    12 countries → Read the Asia Pacific edition

    Movers and records

    Who moved the month

    The biggest gainers and losers on a year, and the countries at or near the best month they have ever recorded.

    Biggest gainersOn a year

    01JordanMiddle East-84.2%02BahrainMiddle East-93.3%03IsraelMiddle East-96.3%

    Biggest losersOn a year

    01IsraelMiddle East-96.3%02BahrainMiddle East-93.3%03JordanMiddle East-84.2%

    At or near a recordOf best

    01Jordan8.6% of its best month8.6%02Bahrain4.8% of its best month4.8%03Israel2.7% of its best month2.7%

    The month ahead

    January, and the money behind it

    National holidays across the countries in this issue, and how the big source-market currencies moved against the euro. A stronger currency makes travel abroad cheaper for its people.

    January 2021Countries on holiday

    MTWTFSS12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
    01New Year's DayBahrain, Jordan2

    CurrenciesAgainst the euro

    CurrencyPer euroOn the month
    USD1.217-2.7%
    GBP0.9062-1.1%
    JPY126.2782-2.1%
    CNY7.9602-1.8%
    KRW1,332.54-1.0%
    AUD1.6166+0.6%
    THB36.6096-1.6%
    INR89.6081-2.0%

    Trust index

    How sure are these numbers

    Every country is graded on its figures as held today. The issue's trust index of 86 is their average, weighted by size. The weakest come first.

    CountryFreshCompleteStableGradeScore
    Bahrain100100B70
    Israel100100A100
    Jordan100100A100
    FreshHow far behind the newest figure is.
    CompleteThe share of the last five years held with no gap.
    StableHow little the office revised its figures in the last year.
    GradesA from 85, B from 70, C from 55. Every grade is in the API.

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