• 20.07.2026

International tourism is growing: tourists made almost 690 million trips in the past six months.

International tourism continues to recover from the pandemic: in the first half of 2025, the number of tourist arrivals reached almost 690 million, a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2024—approximately 33 million additional trips. These data were published by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism).

According to UN Tourism experts, the number of international trips from January to June 2025 was approximately 4% higher than pre-COVID levels.

The largest growth in tourism was recorded in Africa, where the continent increased tourist arrivals by 12%. In North Africa, tourist arrivals grew by 14%, and in sub-Saharan Africa by 11%.

Europe welcomed approximately 340 million tourists, 4% more than in the first half of 2024 and 7% above the 2019 level. Among European destinations, France and Spain were the most popular, with tourist arrivals increasing by 5%. In Central and Eastern Europe, growth was more significant, up 9%, although tourist arrivals there are still 11% below 2019 levels.

The Americas showed moderate growth, up 3%, but the distribution was uneven. South America saw a 14% increase in trips, Central America a 2% increase, and North America saw no growth due to a decline in tourist arrivals to the United States and Canada. Tourism in the Caribbean declined, partly due to lower demand from American tourists.

The Middle East saw a 4% decline in international trips, but still experienced a 29% increase compared to 2019, the highest growth rate of any region.

The Asia-Pacific region continues to recover rapidly, with tourism growth of 11%, reaching 92% of pre-pandemic levels. Northeast Asia saw particularly strong growth, up 20%.