However, as Statista's Felix Richter notes, as it turns out, the situation went from bad to worse, however, at least when looking at international tourist arrivals in the first five months of the year.

Having dropped by more than one billion visitors or 73 percent in 2020, international tourist arrivals declined by 85 percent between January and May 2021 when compared to the same period of 2019. According to the UNWTO, tourism destinations around the world recorded 460 million fewer international arrivals in the first five months of 2021 compared to 2019.

Even compared to 2020, when COVID-19's crippling effect on international travel became apparent in March, arrivals declined by 65 percent, as travel restrictions remained in place in large parts of the world.