ITB Berlin opened Tuesday, marking its first in-person event since 2019. And as the global travel industry flocked to the German capital for the world’s largest travel show, the United Nations Tourism Organization announced that tourism is on track to achieve full recovery this year.

UNWTO data shows that more than twice as many people travelled internationally in January as they did at the start of last year and according to UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, the message is clear: “Tourism always comes back!”

And the return of ITB, alongside the recent re-opening of China, is clear proof of renewed confidence in international travel, he added.

Pololiksahvili was invited to be part of the official inauguration ceremony for ITB 2023, alongside Germany’s Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey, and public and private sector leaders. While welcoming the positive data, he also stressed that tourism has a “responsibility to grow back better. We must speed up and scale up to a more sustainable and resilient tourism.”

Outlining UNWTO’s priorities for the sector, Pololikashvili urged both governments and businesses to recognize the importance of education and training, as well as the crucial role of investment – the “missing ingredient” for turning plans for greater sustainability and resilience into reality. Investment will be the theme for World Tourism Day 2023, to be celebrated on Sept. 27.