tourism worldwide

By: Bastian Herre and Veronika Samborska

Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000.

Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.

For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures.

And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.

But tourism also has externalities: it contributes to global carbon emissions and can encroach on local environments and cultures.

On this page, you can find data and visualizations on the history and current state of tourism across the world.

Interactive Charts on Tourism

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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UN Tourism Barometer

The UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer monitors short-term tourism trends on a regular basis to provide global tourism stakeholders with up-to-date analysis on international tourism.

The report is published four times a year and includes an analysis of the latest data on tourism destinations (inbound tourism) and source markets (outbound tourism). The Barometer also includes a Confidence Index based on the UN Tourism Panel of Tourism Experts survey, which provides an evaluation of recent performance and short-term prospects on international tourism.

UN Tourism Member States , Associate Members and Affiliate Members receive the UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer as a part of member's service.

• International tourism reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024

International arrivals (overnight visitors) reached 97% of 2019 levels in the first quarter of 2024. The Middle East continued to see the strongest relative growth in arrivals, while Africa and Europe exceeded pre-pandemic levels

• International arrivals (overnight visitors) reached 97% of 2019 levels in the first quarter of 2024 , reflecting an almost complete recovery of pre-pandemic numbers.
• An estimated 285 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months of 2024, about 20% more than in the same period of 2023. These results were boosted by continued strong demand, the opening of Asian markets, as well as by enhanced air connectivity and visa facilitation.
• The Middle East saw the strongest relative growth, with international arrivals exceeding by 36% pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024. Europe exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in a quarter (+1% from Q1 2019).
• Africa welcomed 5% more arrivals in the first quarter of 2024 than in Q1 2019, while the Americas practically reached pre-pandemic numbers (99%).
• Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific recovered 82% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024, after recovering 65% in 2023.
• By subregions, North Africa saw the strongest performance with 23% more international arrivals in Q1 2024 than before the pandemic, followed by Central America (+15%), the Caribbean and Western Europe (both +7%).
• Total export revenues from international tourism , including both receipts and passenger transport, reached USD 1.7 trillion in 2023, about 96% of pre-pandemic levels in real terms (i.e. excluding inflation).
• Tourism direct GDP recovered pre-pandemic levels in 2023, reaching an estimated USD 3.3 trillion, equivalent to 3% of global GDP.
• The latest UN Tourism Confidence Index shows positive prospects for the period May-August 2024, though economic and geopolitical headwinds continue to pose significant challenges to the complete recovery of international tourism and confidence levels.

Tourism Data

International tourist arrivals, world and regions, panel evaluation and prospects, what are the main factors weighing on the recovery of international tourism, when do you expect international tourism to return to pre-pandemic 2019 levels in your country, related links:.

• Excerpt | World Tourism Barometer - Volume 22 • Issue 2 • May 2024
• World Tourism Barometer | PPT Version | Volume 22 • Issue 2 • May 2024
• China recovers its position as top spender in 2023 as Asia and the Pacific reopens to tourism
• UNWTO World Tourism Barometer (English version)
• The impact of the Russian offensive on Ukraine on international Tourism
• The Economic Contribution of Tourism and the Impact of COVID-19
• Impact of COVID-19 and tourism