International tourism continued its steady recovery in 2025, with global tourist arrivals rising 4% year-on-year to an estimated 1.52 billion travellers, according to the latest World Tourism Barometer released by UN Tourism. The increase translates to nearly 60 million additional international arrivals compared to 2024, signalling a return to pre-pandemic growth trends after several years of volatility .
The data suggests that international travel is normalising after the sharp rebound recorded in 2023 and 2024, moving closer to the long-term average annual growth rate of around 5% seen between 2009 and 2019. Strong consumer demand, resilient performance from large source markets, improved air connectivity and enhanced visa facilitation supported growth across most regions in 2025.
“Demand for travel remained high throughout 2025, despite elevated inflation in tourism services and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty,” said Shaikha Alnuwais, Secretary-General of UN Tourism. “We expect this positive trend to continue into 2026 as the global economy remains steady and destinations that are still lagging behind fully recover.”
Africa emerged as the fastest-growing region globally in 2025, recording an 8% increase in international tourist arrivals to reach 81 million visitors. North Africa led the region with an 11% rise, reflecting strong recovery momentum and growing international interest in the sub-region.
Asia and the Pacific continued its rebound, registering 331 million international arrivals in 2025, up 6% year-on-year. While the region remains 9% below 2019 levels, North-East Asia recorded a notable 13% increase compared to 2024, and South Asia has now fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels .
Europe, the world’s largest destination region, welcomed 793 million international tourists in 2025, a 4% increase over 2024 and 6% above 2019 levels. Western Europe and Southern Mediterranean Europe posted solid results, while Central and Eastern Europe grew 6% but remained 9% below pre-pandemic volumes.
The Americas recorded 218 million international arrivals, growing 1% overall, with uneven performance across sub-regions. South America and Central America led growth, while some Caribbean destinations faced disruption due to Hurricane Melissa in the final quarter of the year.
The Middle East remained the strongest-performing region relative to pre-pandemic benchmarks, growing 3% in 2025 and reaching levels nearly 39% above 2019, with close to 100 million international visitors.
The rebound in arrivals was matched by strong growth in tourism spending. Preliminary estimates indicate that international tourism receipts reached USD 1.9 trillion in 2025, up 5% from 2024. Total export revenues from tourism, including passenger transport, are estimated at a record USD 2.2 trillion for the year .
Several destinations reported faster growth in tourism receipts than arrivals, highlighting higher per-visitor spending. Countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Mauritius recorded double-digit growth in tourism receipts during the year, calculated in local currencies.
Other industry indicators reinforced the positive trend. International air capacity and passenger traffic grew 7% through October 2025, while global hotel occupancy reached 66% in November, matching levels seen a year earlier.
Looking ahead, UN Tourism expects international tourist arrivals to grow by 3% to 4% in 2026, assuming continued recovery in Asia and the Pacific, stable economic conditions and no major escalation in geopolitical conflicts. The forecast reflects a moderation from the strong rebound years of 2023 and 2024 and a transition towards more sustainable growth rates.
However, risks remain. Experts surveyed by UN Tourism highlighted high travel costs, geopolitical tensions, trade disputes and extreme weather events as key challenges that could affect traveller confidence. Despite easing headline inflation globally, tourism-related services continue to experience elevated price pressures.
Major global events, including the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup 2026 across North America, are expected to provide additional momentum for international travel next year.
Overall, the 2025 results underline a global tourism sector that has regained stability, with growth increasingly driven by value-conscious travellers, improved connectivity and rising outbound demand from emerging markets.
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