In 2025, international tourism continued to grow: the number of tourists spending at least one night exceeded the same period in 2024 by 5% and the pre-pandemic level of 2019 by 3%. According to the World Tourism Barometer published by the United Nations, international tourist arrivals exceeded 1.1 billion between January and September 2025, which is about 50 million more than in the previous year. Africa performed exceptionally well, with 10% growth. Europe, the world’s leading tourist region, welcomed 625 million international tourists, representing a 4% increase compared to 2024. The American continent saw 2% growth, with North America experiencing a slight decline (-1%) after previous growth, while South America performed 9% better than the previous year. The Middle East showed 2% growth, which is 33% above 2019 levels. Asia and the Pacific region grew by 8%, although the region is still 10% below pre-pandemic levels. Outstanding growth was recorded in Brazil (+45%), Vietnam and Egypt (+21%), and Ethiopia and Japan (+18%). In air transport, according to IATA data, global passenger traffic (RPK) grew by 7% and available capacity (ASK) by 6%, while global hotel occupancy reached 68% in September, maintaining 2024 levels. Tourist spending remained strong, with Japan (+21%), Nicaragua (+19%), Egypt (+18%), Mongolia and Morocco (+15%), Latvia (+13%), Brazil (+12%) and France (+9%) standing out. Spending by travelers also increased in major outbound markets such as the US (+7%), France (+5%), Germany and Italy (+4%), Spain (+15%) and South Korea (+7%). International tourism is progressing in line with the 3-5% growth rate forecast for 2025, although high prices and geopolitical uncertainties remain risk factors. An abstract of the relevant publication of the UN World Tourism Barometer can be downloaded here.
