Africa shows solid results, while Asia and the Pacific rebounds strongly.

 



• Europe welcomed 125 million international tourists in the first three months of the year, up 2% from Q1 2024, and 5% more than the same period before the pandemic.

 • In Southern Mediterranean Europe arrivals increased 2%, reflecting growing demand for off-season travel to some destinations. • Central and Eastern Europe rebounded strongly (+8% over 2024), especially Baltic destinations, though visitor numbers in the subregion still remain somewhat below 2019 levels. 

• North Macedonia (+22%), Lithuania (+21%), Malta (19%), Latvia (16%), Finland (+15%) and Spain (+6%) showed robust performance among European destinations with available data for Q1 2025.

 • Africa recorded 9% growth in international arrivals in Q1 2025, compared to 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic traveller numbers by 16%. 

• The best performers in Africa according to available data for Q1 2025 include The Gambia (+46%), Morocco (+22%), Ethiopia (+7%) and South Africa (+6%). 

• The Americas saw 2% more international arrivals in Q1 2025, with several destinations in South America (+13%) enjoying strong results during the Southern Hemisphere summer season. 

• In the Americas, the best performers in Q1 2025 include Paraguay (+53%), Brazil and Chile (both +48%), as well as Ecuador (+17%). Mexico saw 6% more international arrivals in the first three months of 2025 compared to the previous year. 

• The Middle East recorded 1% growth in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, a more modest increase following the extraordinary performance in 2024. However, arrivals stood 44% above pre-pandemic levels this first quarter of 2025, the strongest regional results relative to 2019.

 • Egypt (+21%), Jordan and Bahrain (both +9%) saw the highest growth in arrivals in the first quarter of 2025, according to available data for the Middle East. 

• Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific grew 12% in Q1 2025, equivalent to 92% of pre-pandemic numbers (-8% from 2019), as the region continued to rebound rapidly. North-East Asia saw the strongest performance among world subregions this quarter, with 23% more international arrivals than in 2024, reaching 91% of pre-pandemic levels (-9% compared to 2019).

• Japan (+23%) continued to show solid results in Q1 2025 supported by the depreciation of the yen and growing visitor numbers from Europe and North America. Mongolia (+19%), the Republic of Korea (+14%) and Laos (+11%) also saw double-digit growth in arrivals as compared to 2024. 

• Other industry indicators reflect the sector’s robust performance in the first quarter of the year, with international air traffic (measured in RPKs) growing 8% in January-March 2025 versus Q1 2024 (or +6% over 2019) according to IATA. International air capacity (measured in ASKs) showed a 7% increase in the same period (+5% over 2029).

 • Global occupancy rates in accommodation establishments reached 64% in March 2025, about the same level as in March 2024 (65%), based on STR data.

 • See more industry indicators in the UN Tourism Data Dashboard.

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