International Tourist Arrivals up 5% in the First Nine Months of 2025

According to the latest edition of the World Tourism Barometer, over 1.1 billion tourists travelled internationally between January and September this year, about 50 million more than in the same period of 2024.

Global Growth
- International tourist arrivals grew 5% in January–September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
- This is also 3% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, showing a strong recovery trajectory.
- Over 1.1 billion tourists traveled internationally in the first nine months of 2025 — about 50 million more than in 2024.

Regional Breakdown
- Africa: +10% overall, with North Africa (+11%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (+10%) leading.
- Europe: 625 million arrivals (+4%), with strong summer demand.
- Western Europe (+5%), Southern Mediterranean (+3%), Central & Eastern Europe (+8%), Northern Europe (-1%).
- Americas: +2% overall.
- South America (+9%), North America (-1%), Central America (+3%), Caribbean (+1%).
- Middle East: +2% vs 2024, but 33% above 2019 levels — strongest rebound relative to pre-pandemic.
- Asia-Pacific: +8% vs 2024, reaching 90% of 2019 levels.
- North-East Asia stood out (+17%), though still -12% compared to 2019.

Standout Destinations
- Brazil (+45%), Vietnam (+21%), Egypt (+21%), Ethiopia (+18%), Japan (+18%), South Africa (+17%), Sri Lanka (+16%), Mongolia (+16%), Morocco (+14%) — many surpassing 2019 levels.

Supporting Indicators
- International air traffic (RPKs): +7% vs 2024
- Air capacity (ASKs): +6%
- Global hotel occupancy: 68% in September 2025 (same as 2024)
- Tourism receipts: Strong growth in Japan (+21%), Nicaragua (+19%), Egypt (+18%), Mongolia & Morocco (+15%), Latvia (+13%), Brazil (+12%), France (+9%).

Outlook
- UN Tourism projected 3–5% growth in 2025, and results so far are on track despite challenges like inflation and geopolitical tensions.

This shows that global tourism is not only recovering but expanding beyond pre-pandemic levels, with Africa and Asia-Pacific driving much of the momentum.