The global tourism industry continues its impressive recovery in 2025, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the charge according to new data from UN Tourism. International tourist arrivals worldwide have shown sustained growth, demonstrating the sector's resilience despite ongoing economic challenges.
Asia-Pacific Leads Recovery Momentum
The latest World Tourism Barometer report reveals that Asia-Pacific tourist arrivals increased by eight percent during the first nine months of 2025. This growth underscores the region's strong recovery trajectory, although numbers remain approximately 10 percent below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
From January to September 2025, the Madrid-based UN Tourism organization recorded over 1.1 billion international trips globally, representing a five percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. This substantial growth indicates that international travel has maintained its recovery momentum throughout the year.
Regional Performance Highlights
Different regions worldwide showed varied performance in tourist arrivals. Africa demonstrated particularly strong growth, with North Africa surging 11 percent and Sub-Saharan Africa increasing 10 percent. Europe maintained its position as the world's largest destination region, welcoming 625 million international arrivals during the first three quarters of 2025 - a four percent year-on-year improvement.
The Americas presented a mixed picture. While North America experienced a slight decline of approximately one percent, South America showed robust growth with a nine percent increase, and Central America grew by three percent, supported by strong demand across several popular destinations.
Industry Outlook and Challenges
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili emphasized the positive trends in both international arrivals and tourism receipts. "International tourism has continued to experience sustained growth so far in 2025 despite high inflation in tourism services and geopolitical tensions," he stated in an official press note. "Africa and Europe in particular stand out for their results."
The organization forecasts three to five percent growth for 2025 overall, while acknowledging that geopolitical uncertainty and high operational costs remain potential risks for the sector's continued recovery. The data suggests that while the tourism industry has made significant strides toward pre-pandemic normalcy, full recovery may still require additional time and favorable economic conditions.
