Ahead of the Executive Council meeting of UN Tourism scheduled for May 30, 2025, in Madrid, Spain, to nominate and elect a new Secretary-General, the World Tourism Barometer has reported a robust performance for the sector in the first quarter of 2025.

Over 300 million international tourists were recorded globally between January and March 2025 — 14 million more than during the same period in 2024.

This figure represents a 5% year-on-year increase and a 3% rise compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, underscoring the sector’s resilience amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, inflation, and trade disruptions.

Commenting on the results, UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, stated:
“In every global region, tourism stands out as a major services sector, supporting millions of jobs and businesses of all sizes. The continued good performance in international arrivals, combined with stronger visitor spending in many destinations, highlights the resilience of the sector in the face of numerous challenges and is good news for economies and workers everywhere.”

Africa emerged as one of the strongest performers, recording a 9% increase in international arrivals over Q1 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 16%.

Asia and the Pacific also posted a significant 12% increase, reaching 92% of 2019 levels. North-East Asia led the sub-regions globally, rebounding by 23%.

Europe welcomed 125 million international visitors, reflecting a 2% increase over Q1 2024 and 5% above 2019 levels. Southern Mediterranean Europe saw a 2% rise, driven by increased off-season travel, while Central and Eastern Europe surged 8%, led by growth in the Baltic region.

The Americas recorded a 2% increase, with South America showing strong performance at +13%. Meanwhile, the Middle East posted modest growth of 1% year-on-year, but arrivals stood 44% above 2019 levels — the highest globally in comparison to pre-pandemic figures.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global air travel demand rose by 8% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with air capacity also increasing by 7%. Accommodation occupancy rates reached 64% in March, marginally lower than 65% in March 2024.

Available data shows that international tourism receipts grew by 11% in Q1 2025, reflecting solid growth in visitor spending: Spain, the world’s second-largest tourism earner, saw a 9% increase in receipts in the first two months of 2025.

Türkiye reported a 7% rise, while Greece, Italy, and Portugal each recorded 4% growth.

France posted a 6% increase, while Norway and Denmark surged by 20% and 11% respectively.

In Asia-Pacific, Japan led with a 34% rise, followed by Nepal (+18%), South Korea, and Mongolia (both +14%).

The United States, the world’s top tourism earner, recorded 3% growth, following a 14% rise in 2024.

Revised data for 2024 shows that total export revenues from international tourism — including receipts and passenger transport — grew by 11% in real terms to reach a record USD 2.0 trillion, which is 15% above pre-pandemic levels.

Tourism now represents approximately 6% of global exports of goods and services and accounts for 23% of total service exports worldwide. Of this, international tourism receipts alone reached USD 1.7 trillion, also growing 11% in real terms — highlighting the sector’s critical role in the global economy.