International tourist arrivals went up 5% in the first six months of 2025 compared to last year, hitting nearly 690 million travelers and running 4% above pre-pandemic numbers, according to UN Tourism figures released on Tuesday, September 9. About 33 million more people traveled internationally than during the same months in 2024, though some regions did much better than others.
Africa topped all regions with 12% more visitors, boosted by North Africa’s 14% gain and sub-Saharan Africa’s 11% rise. Europe brought in nearly 340 million tourists, up 4% from 2024 and 7% higher than 2019. Central and Eastern Europe bounced back hard with 9% growth, but still sits 11% below pre-pandemic totals.
The Americas had mixed results with 3% growth overall. South America shot up 14% while North America stayed flat because the United States and Canada saw small drops. Asia Pacific grew 11% but remains 8% under pre-pandemic levels. The Middle East fell 4% after big post-pandemic gains. Japan and Vietnam both saw 21% jumps, while South Korea rose 15% and Morocco climbed 19%.
Tourism brought in record money in 2024 at $1.73 trillion, sitting 14% above pre-pandemic totals when adjusted for inflation.
