International tourism continued its strong rebound in early 2025, with more than 300 million tourists traveling abroad in the first quarter of the year — about 14 million more than during the same period in 2024, according to the latest UN Tourism Barometer released in May.
The 5% year-over-year increase puts international arrivals 3% above levels recorded in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth comes despite persistent challenges, including high inflation, geopolitical tensions, and trade disruptions affecting the travel and tourism sector.
Regional Growth Led by Asia Pacific and Africa
Europe welcomed the largest share of global travelers — 125 million between January and March — marking a 2% rise over 2024 and a 5% gain from the pre-pandemic period. Southern Mediterranean Europe also posted a 2% increase in arrivals, reflecting growing interest in off-season travel. Central and Eastern Europe saw an 8% jump, with particular strength in the Baltics, though visitor numbers in the subregion remain below 2019 figures.
Africa recorded 9% growth in international arrivals in the first quarter, exceeding 2019 levels by 16%. The Americas saw a more modest 2% rise overall, while several destinations in South America reported double-digit increases during the Southern Hemisphere’s peak travel season. The Middle East posted 1% growth, though arrivals stood 44% higher than before the pandemic.
Asia and the Pacific recorded the strongest rebound, with arrivals up 12% year-over-year. North-East Asia led the recovery among all global subregions with a 23% increase, reaching 91% of 2019 levels.27
Air travel continued to recover, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reporting an 8% rise in international passenger demand during the first quarter. Airline capacity increased 7% over the same period. Global hotel occupancy in March held steady at 64%, roughly on par with last year.
Tourism Receipts Climb in Key Markets
Visitor spending also rose in early 2025, with several major destinations reporting significant gains. Spain, the world’s second-largest tourism earner, saw a 9% increase in tourism receipts in January and February. Türkiye posted 7% growth, while Greece, Italy and Portugal each gained 4%.
France reported 6% growth in international tourism earnings, with Norway and Denmark recording even larger increases at 20% and 11%, respectively.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan led with a 34% surge in tourism receipts, followed by Nepal (+18%), South Korea and Mongolia (both +14%). The United States, the top global earner from tourism, reported a 3% rise in spending during the first quarter.
2024 Tourism Revenues Revised Upward
UN Tourism revised global tourism revenue figures for 2024, estimating total export earnings — including both travel receipts and passenger transport — at $2.0 trillion. That figure marks an 11% increase in real terms from 2023 and stands 15% above pre-pandemic levels. Tourism now accounts for 6% of total global exports and 23% of global trade in services.
International tourism receipts alone reached $1.7 trillion in 2024, with travelers spending an average of $1,170 per trip — well above the pre-pandemic average of $1,000.
Spending was fueled by robust demand from major source markets including the United Kingdom (+16%), Canada (+13%), the United States (+12%), Australia (+8%), and France (+7%). China, the world’s top spender on tourism, saw a 30% increase in outbound spending, reaching $251 billion — 3% above 2019 levels.
Other strong performers included Saudi Arabia (+17%), Spain (+14%), Belgium (+14%), the Netherlands (+13%), and Austria (+11%).
Outlook: Challenges Persist, But Growth Expected
While growth has been strong, industry experts caution that economic headwinds remain. According to a recent UN Tourism survey, weaker global growth, rising travel costs, and increased tariffs are the top three concerns for the sector this year. Geopolitical tensions and low consumer confidence also weigh heavily on the industry’s outlook.
Despite these risks, most experts remain optimistic for the upcoming summer travel season in the Northern Hemisphere. Roughly 45% of tourism panel respondents expect better or much better performance between May and August compared to the same period in 2024. About one-third anticipate similar results, while 22% expect conditions to worsen.
Concerns over trade tensions remain, though one-third of experts expect little impact, and 25% foresee some effect in the near term.
UN Tourism continues to project global international arrivals will grow between 3% and 5% in 2025, signaling ongoing resilience in global travel demand despite broader economic uncertainties.