International tourist arrivals grew 5% in Q1 2025

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 5% rise on last year and is 3% 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. UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “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 shows solid results, while Asia Pacific rebounds strongly The World Tourism Barometer breaks down the data for the first quarter of 2025 by region and sub-region. Key highlights show: 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.