International tourism up 5%, UN report shows
According to the May 2025 World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, over 300 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months of 2025, about 14 million more than in the same months of 2024.
That represents a five per cent rise on last year and is three per cent more than in pre-pandemic year 2019. The robust performance came despite the sector facing a range of geopolitical and trade tensions, as well as high inflation in travel and tourism services.
“In every global region, tourism stands out as a major services sector, supporting millions of jobs and businesses of all sizes,” said UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “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.”
Key findings
- Europe welcomed 125 million international tourists in the first three months of the year, up 2% from Q1 2024, and 5% more than the same period before the pandemic.
- In Southern Mediterranean Europe arrivals increased 2%, reflecting growing demand for off-season travel to some destinations.
- Central and Eastern Europe rebounded strongly (+8% over 2024), especially Baltic destinations, though visitor numbers in the subregion remain below 2019 levels.
- Africa recorded 9% growth in arrivals in Q1 2025, compared to 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic traveller numbers by 16%.
- The Americas saw 2% more international arrivals, with several destinations in South America (+13%) enjoying strong results during the Southern Hemisphere summer season.
- The Middle East recorded 1% growth compared to 2024, a more modest increase following the extraordinary performance in recent years. However, arrivals stood 44% above pre-pandemic levels this first quarter of the year.
- Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific grew 12%, reaching 92% of pre-pandemic numbers. North-East Asia saw the strongest performance among world subregions with a 23% rebound in Q1 2025 to reach 91% of 2019 levels.
According to IATA, international air travel demand grew 8% in January-March 2025 versus Q1 2024, while international air capacity was up 7%. Global occupancy rates in accommodation establishments reached 64% in March, about the same level as in March 2024 (65%). Industry indicators are available at the UN Tourism Data Dashboard.
Strong growth in receipts across many destinations in early 2025
Available data on international tourism receipts for Q1 2025 shows solid growth in visitor spending in many destinations:
- Spain, the world’s second largest tourism earner, reported 9% growth in the first two months of 2025 (compared to the same period in 2024), after a remarkable 16% increase in the year 2024.
- Also in Southern Mediterranean Europe, Türkiye (+7%) posted solid results in Q1 2025, as did Greece, Italy and Portugal (all +4%).
- France recorded 6% growth in international tourism receipts, Norway 20% and Denmark 11%, in the first quarter of 2025.
- In Asia and the Pacific, Japan continued to enjoy a surge in receipts in Q1 (+34%), while Nepal (+18%), the Republic of Korea and Mongolia (both +14%) also recorded double-digit growth.
- The United States, the world’s top tourism earner, reported 3% growth in January-March 2025, after a 14% increase in the year 2024.
For the full report, click here.
Tags: UN Tourism
