International tourist arrivals grew by 4% in 2025, reaching an estimated 1.52 billion overnight visitors worldwide, according to the first World Tourism Barometer of the year from UN Tourism. The increase represents almost 60 million more international travellers than in 2024 and signals a return to pre-pandemic growth patterns closer to the 5% annual average recorded between 2009 and 2019.
Results reflect strong global demand, solid performance from major source markets and continued recovery in Asia and the Pacific, supported by improved air connectivity and expanded visa facilitation. UN Tourism expects momentum to continue into 2026, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and elevated travel costs.
Europe remains the world’s largest destination region, welcoming 793 million international tourists in 2025, a 4% increase from 2024 and 6% above 2019 levels. Western Europe grew by 5%, while Southern Mediterranean Europe recorded a 3% rise, and Central and Eastern Europe rebounded by 6% although arrivals remained 9% below pre-pandemic volumes.
The Americas recorded 218 million international arrivals in 2025, delivering modest growth of 1%. Performance varied by subregion, with South America posting 7% growth and Central America rising 5%, while parts of the Caribbean saw flat performance after Hurricane Melissa affected travel late in the year. Weaker results in the United States weighed on overall regional growth during the second half of the year.
Africa achieved the strongest regional performance, with international arrivals rising 8% to 81 million, driven by particularly strong demand in North Africa, which recorded an 11% increase. The Middle East also continued to outperform relative to pre-pandemic benchmarks, growing 3% in 2025 and reaching nearly 100 million international visitors, equivalent to 39% above 2019 levels.
Asia and the Pacific continued its recovery trajectory, recording 331 million arrivals and 6% growth year-on-year. North-East Asia led the rebound with 13% growth, while South Asia returned to pre-pandemic volumes, although overall arrivals in the region remained 9% below 2019 levels.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Alnuwais said “Demand for travel remained high throughout 2025, despite high inflation in tourism services and uncertainty from geopolitical tensions. We expect this positive trend to continue into 2026 as global economy is expected to remain steady and destinations still lagging behind pre pandemic levels fully recover.”
Strong travel demand translated into record export revenues for the sector. International tourism receipts reached an estimated USD 1.9 trillion in 2025, up 5% from 2024, while total export revenues from tourism, including passenger transport, climbed to approximately USD 2.2 trillion.
Several destinations recorded double-digit growth in visitor arrivals during 2025, including Brazil at 37%, Egypt at 20%, Morocco at 14% and Seychelles at 13%. Destinations reporting through November also posted robust gains, with Bhutan growing 30%, Iceland 29%, Guyana 24%, South Africa 19% and Japan 17%, reflecting sustained consumer appetite for long-haul and experiential travel.
Industry indicators also remained positive. International air capacity and passenger traffic increased 7% through October 2025, while global hotel occupancy reached 66% in November, matching levels from the previous year. Many destinations reported faster growth in tourism receipts than in visitor volumes, suggesting travellers continued to spend more per trip.
Looking ahead, UN Tourism forecasts international tourism growth of 3% to 4% in 2026, assuming continued recovery in Asia and the Pacific, stable global economic conditions and no major escalation in geopolitical conflicts. Survey data show that 58% of tourism experts expect better or much better performance in 2026, while 31% anticipate similar results and 11% foresee weaker outcomes.
Experts identify economic pressures, high travel costs and geopolitical risks as the main challenges facing the sector in the year ahead. Although headline inflation eased in many markets during 2025, inflation in tourism-related services remains elevated, encouraging travellers to seek value for money and flexible booking options.
Major international events are also expected to stimulate travel demand in 2026, including the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and the FIFA World Cup 2026 across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Enhanced air connectivity, expanding outbound travel from emerging markets and resilient consumer demand are likely to continue shaping travel flows as the industry enters a more normalized phase of growth.