International tourist arrivals are expected to continue to increase in 2025, according to the latest data published by UN Tourism on Thursday (27/11).
In its quarterly World Tourism Barometer report , the Madrid-based organization said that more than 1.1 billion people traveled internationally in the first nine months of this year, up about 5 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
The Asia-Pacific region recorded an 8 percent increase in arrivals in the January-September period as the post-pandemic recovery continues, although the figure remains around 10 percent below 2019 levels.
International arrivals to Africa increased significantly, with North Africa up 11 percent and Sub-Saharan Africa up 10 percent. Europe remains the world's largest destination region, welcoming 625 million arrivals in the first nine months of 2025, a 4 percent increase compared to the previous year.
North America recorded a slight decline of around 1 percent, while South America grew 9 percent and Central America 3 percent, supported by strong demand in some destinations.
"International tourism continues to experience sustained growth so far in 2025, both in terms of tourist arrivals and, most importantly, in terms of revenues, despite high inflation in tourism services and geopolitical tensions. Africa and Europe stand out in particular for their results," said United Nations Secretary-General for Tourism Zurab Pololikashvili in a press release.
UN Tourism projects growth of 3-5 percent for the whole of 2025, but stresses that geopolitical uncertainty and high costs remain potential risks to the tourism sector's prospects.
