Europe, the world’s largest receiving region, welcomed close to 340 million international tourists in the first half of 2025, up 4% on 2024 and 7% above 2019. Central and Eastern Europe showed particularly strong momentum (+9%), although it still sits 11% below pre-pandemic figures. In the Americas, growth was more moderate (+3%), with notable gains in South America (+14%) contrasting with flat trends in North America and the Caribbean, where demand from the United States softened.
The report also highlights a positive trend in tourism spending. Major destinations posted significant increases in international tourism receipts: Japan (+18%), the United Kingdom (+13%), France (+9%), and both Spain and Türkiye (+8%). Data point to robust tourism outlays, supported by higher outbound spending from China (+16%), Spain (+16%), the United Kingdom (+15%), Singapore (+10%) and the Republic of Korea (+8%). Overall, international tourism receipts climbed to USD 1.734 trillion in 2024—about 14% above 2019 in real terms—a dynamic that has stayed firm in 2025.
International air transport also expanded by 7% in the first half of the year, in line with global tourism growth. Global hotel occupancy reached 69% in June and 71% in July, broadly matching 2024 levels. Europe remained the region with the highest occupancy (76%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (70%) and the Americas (68%), reflecting a steady flow of travellers through the peak season.
Even so, the UN Tourism Panel of Experts cautions that economic and geopolitical risks persist and may weigh on consumer confidence. Key challenges include high transport and accommodation costs, tourism-specific inflation estimated at 6.8%—still above headline inflation of 4.3%—and a potential reduction in average spend per trip. Additional factors such as higher trade tariffs, new entry requirements and geopolitical uncertainty could moderate growth in some markets.
Nevertheless, prospects for the final months of 2025 remain positive. The UN Tourism Confidence Index shows a slight improvement, reaching 120 points for September–December, versus 114 in the previous four-month period. Over half of surveyed experts expect performance to be equal to or better than in 2024, supported by strengthening outbound markets in Asia—especially China and India—and major international events such as Expo Osaka 2025 and the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Against this backdrop, UN Tourism maintains its global growth projection of 3% to 5% for year-end, consolidating the sector’s full recovery and underscoring its strategic role as a driver of economic and social development worldwide.
