Tourexpi
International tourism continued its upward trajectory
in 2025. According to the latest World Tourism Barometer, more than 1.1 billion
travellers crossed borders between January and September — around 50 million
more than in the same period of 2024, and 3% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Demand remained strong throughout the Northern Hemisphere summer despite high
prices and mixed traveller confidence.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili
noted that both arrivals and receipts showed resilient growth, with Africa and
Europe delivering particularly strong results.
Regional performance
Africa led all regions with a 10% increase in
arrivals, driven by strong growth in both North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Europe welcomed 625 million international visitors, 4% more than in 2024, with
Western Europe and the Southern Mediterranean performing well and
Central/Eastern Europe rebounding strongly.
The Americas recorded moderate 2% growth overall,
while the Middle East posted a 2% rise but remained the best-performing region
relative to 2019 levels (+33%).
Asia and the Pacific grew 8% as recovery continued,
with North-East Asia showing the strongest momentum.
Fastest-growing destinations included Brazil (+45%),
Vietnam and Egypt (+21%), Ethiopia and Japan (+18%), South Africa (+17%) and
Morocco (+14%), all exceeding 2019 levels.
Travel spending remains strong
Visitor spending grew sharply in several destinations
through September — notably Japan (+21%), Nicaragua (+19%), Egypt (+18%),
Mongolia and Morocco (both +15%), and Brazil (+12%). Outbound spending from
major markets such as the United States, France, Germany, Italy and Spain also
increased.
Outlook
With arrivals up 5% through September, 2025 is on
track to reach UN Tourism’s projected annual growth of 3% to 5%, though high
travel costs and geopolitical tensions continue to pose risks.
Image
Credit: © AA
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