Zurab Pololikashvili: International tourism has started the year with a solid performance

Africa leads relative growth, with a 9% increase in international arrivals; the Asia-Pacific region continues its recovery path with a 12% year-on-year increase; Europe receives 125 million international tourists, up 2%; growth in the Americas was also 2% year-on-year, although with differences between sub-regions; and the Middle East grew by 1%, but remains the region with the largest advance over pre-pandemic levels, with figures 44% higher than 2019.

How did the world's international tourist arrivals perform in the first quarter of 2025?

International tourism has started the year with a remarkably strong performance. During the first quarter of 2025, international tourist arrivals grew by 5% compared to the same period in 2024, even exceeding 2019 pre-pandemic levels by 3%. In total, more than 300 million international arrivals were recorded between January and March, approximately 14 million more than in the same period last year.

This sustained growth is a clear sign of the resilience of the tourism sector, which continues to recover from the years of crisis. The positive development occurred despite persistent challenges stemming from global geopolitical and economic tensions, reflecting robust demand for international travel. However, the monthly pace was uneven: January showed a rise of 11%, while February and March grew more moderately (3% and 2%, respectively).

In all regions of the world, tourism stands out as a significant service industry, supporting millions of jobs and driving businesses of all sizes. Continued performance in terms of international arrivals, coupled with increased visitor spending in many destinations, underlines the resilience of the industry in the face of many challenges and is good news for economies and workers around the world. At UN Tourism we are convinced that this growth must be accompanied by responsible planning, which guarantees real benefits for the communities and territories that welcome travellers. 

Can you comment on developments in the world's leading destinations?

During the first quarter of 2025, the evolution of international tourism has been positive overall, although with differences between regions and sub-regions. This diversity responds to multiple factors: from macroeconomic conditions and air connectivity, to seasonality, traveller confidence and the promotional strategies adopted by destinations.

Africa led relative growth, with a 9% increase in international arrivals compared to the same period in 2024. In addition, the region outperformed pre-pandemic levels by 16% in 2019, reflecting a robust and sustained recovery. Destinations such as Gambia (+46%), Morocco (+22%), Ethiopia (+7%) and South Africa (+6%) led this dynamism, demonstrating the growing interest in authentic cultural and natural experiences on the continent.

The Asia-Pacific region continued its recovery path with growth of 12% year-on-year in the first quarter. Although the figures still remain slightly below 2019 levels, the momentum is clear and the recovery continues to progress. Destinations such as Japan (+23%), Mongolia (+19%), the Republic of Korea (+14%) and Laos (+11%) have stood out for their strong performance, in line with the gradual recovery of the region and the return of international demand.

Europe received 125 million international tourists in the first three months of the year. This represents a 2% increase over 2024, and a 5% increase over the same period in 2019. This modest but steady growth reflects sustained demand for European destinations, especially in the low season. Central and Eastern countries such as Lithuania (+21%), Malta (+19%), Latvia (+16%), Finland (+15%) and Spain (+6%) stood out as high performing destinations, benefiting from interest in new cultural routes, wellness and short breaks.

In the Americas, growth was also 2% year-on-year, although with differences between sub-regions. South America showed a remarkable performance, with a 13% growth, favoured by the high season of the austral summer. Destinations such as Paraguay (+53%), Brazil and Chile (both +48%) and Ecuador (+17%) managed to attract both regional and international tourism. In North America, Mexico recorded a solid growth of 6%, remaining among the most visited countries in the world.

The Middle East recorded a more moderate 1% growth in international arrivals in the first quarter of 2025. However, it is still the region with the highest progress compared to pre-pandemic levels, with figures 44% above 2019 levels. This strong performance reflects the momentum of destinations such as Egypt (+21%), Jordan and Bahrain (both +9%), which have strengthened their position in global tourism.

These data reaffirm the importance of managing tourism not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality and sustainability. At UN Tourism, we continue to work closely with destinations to advance a vision of tourism that puts people and planet at the centre of tourism development.

In addition to the number of arrivals, what other figures or aspects of the tourism sector can be highlighted in the first months of 2025?

Beyond the arrivals figures, it is essential to highlight that international tourism continues to show solid signs of recovery also from an economic point of view. As we enter 2025, many destinations have reported a significant increase in tourism revenues, reflecting a recovery that is no longer measured only in volumes, but also in value. For example, Spain, the world's second largest recipient of tourism income, recorded a growth of 9% in January and February, consolidating the 16% expansion recorded for the whole of 2024. Japan, on the other hand, reported an increase of 34%, benefiting from the increase in arrivals and the competitiveness of its currency.

Globally, international tourism income reached a record high of USD 2 trillion in 2024, which is 15% above pre-pandemic levels in 2019, and all indications show that this trend will continue in 2025. However, this growth must be accompanied by policies that ensure its sustainability, equity and real positive impact on the receiving territories.

Tourism is today one of the major drivers of economic growth and job creation worldwide. It is also a force for social and cultural cohesion, connecting people within a country and between different regions of the world, fostering mutual understanding and cultural exchange. But for its impact to be truly transformative, sustainable planning and management of the industry must be at the heart of public policy.

What UN Tourism actions would you highlight in this regard?

At UN Tourism, we work with governments, communities and destinations to ensure that tourism puts people and local communities at the centre of their development. It is not enough to attract more visitors: we must ensure that the benefits of tourism are shared fairly, that environmental limits are respected and that the economic, social and cultural fabric of destinations is strengthened.

To this end, we have defined a set of key recommendations to better manage tourism flows, including the following: encourage the dispersion of visitors across the territory and throughout the year; review and adapt tourism regulation according to local needs; ensure that local communities benefit directly from tourism; create experiences that bring value to both visitors and residents; improve infrastructure and services at destinations; involve local stakeholders and maintain constant communication; and establish systems to monitor and respond to any potential impact of tourism.

These recommendations, set out in our report on the management of tourism flows, are essential to building a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable model. The real success of tourism is not only measured in numbers, but in its ability to improve people's lives, care for destinations and contribute to the well-being of the planet.