Kathmandu: International tourism has continued its strong post-pandemic rebound, with global tourist arrivals reaching 1.1 billion in the first nine months of 2025, according to the latest UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer. The figure represents a 5% year-on-year increase and is 3% higher than pre-pandemic levels, confirming the sector’s solid recovery momentum.
Despite persistent challenges such as high travel inflation, geopolitical tensions, and variations in traveller confidence, the demand for travel remained resilient throughout the year. The third quarter of 2025 alone registered a 4% rise in arrivals, driven largely by the strong Northern Hemisphere summer season.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said tourism is showing “sustained growth” in both arrivals and revenue. “Africa and Europe in particular stand out for their results,” he added.
Africa Leads Global Growth; Europe Maintains Strong Momentum
Africa emerged as the best-performing region in 2025, posting a 10% rise in international arrivals through September. Both North Africa (+11%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (+10%) recorded double-digit growth.
Europe welcomed 625 million tourists, recording 4% growth over 2024, driven by a robust summer.
- Western Europe (+5%) and Southern Mediterranean Europe (+3%) performed strongly.
- Central and Eastern Europe rebounded by 8%, though still remained 11% below 2019 levels.
- Northern Europe dipped slightly (-1%).
Divergent Trends in the Americas; Middle East Outperforms Globally
The Americas recorded 2% overall growth, led by South America (+9%), though North America saw a slight decline (-1%).
The Middle East recorded a 2% increase in tourist arrivals — but remained the strongest performer relative to pre-pandemic levels, attracting 33% more visitors than in 2019.
Asia-Pacific Recovery Gains Strength
The Asia-Pacific region posted 8% growth, recovering to 90% of pre-pandemic levels.
North-East Asia stood out with 17% growth, though still remained 12% below 2019 figures.
Several destinations recorded exceptional performance:
- Brazil (+45%)
- Vietnam and Egypt (+21%)
- Ethiopia and Japan (+18%)
- South Africa (+17%)
- Sri Lanka and Mongolia (+16%)
- Morocco (+14%)
Many of these markets have already surpassed 2019 arrival levels.
Aviation and Visitor Spending on the Rise
International air traffic increased 7% between January and September, while global air capacity rose 6%, according to IATA data.
Global hotel occupancy remained stable at 68% in September.
Visitor spending also strengthened in several destinations, with major increases in:
- Japan (+21%)
- Nicaragua (+19%)
- Egypt (+18%)
- Mongolia & Morocco (+15%)
- Latvia (+13%)
- Brazil (+12%)
- France (+9%)
Outbound spending surged in major source markets, including the United States (+7%), France (+5%), Germany and Italy (+4% each), Spain (+15%), and South Korea (+7%).
Positive Outlook for 2025
UN Tourism forecasts 3–5% growth in international arrivals for full-year 2025. The agency cautions, however, that high travel costs and geopolitical uncertainties remain the primary risks for the sector.
With sustained demand and expanding aviation capacity, the global tourism industry appears on track for solid year-end performance, reinforcing its role as one of the fastest-growing sectors of the world economy.