World Tourism Barometer

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

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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 World Tourism Barometer as a part of UN Tourism’s service to Members.

International tourism up 2% in Q1 2026 amid growing uncertainty

  • International tourist arrivals grew 2% over the first quarter of 2026, despite disruption caused by the crisis in the Middle East in March.
  • Some 307 million tourists traveled internationally in the first quarter of 2026, about 6 million more than the same period of 2025.
  • While the start of the year saw sustained travel demand overall (+2.5% cumulative growth in January and February), the Middle East conflict impacted performance in March (+0.4%).
  • The conflict is expected to reduce growth in international arrivals by 1 to 2 percentage points below UN Tourism’s initial forecast of 3% to 4% for 2026, depending on the conflict’s duration and scope.
  • By region, Europe and Africa see strongest performance in first quarter.
  • Europe, the world’s largest travel destination region, saw over 130 million international tourists in Q1 2026, a 4% increase, building on the strong momentum of 2025 (+5%).
  • Arrivals in Africa(+4%) continued to grow in Q1 2026, with North Africa recording a 4% increase. Arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa also increased 4% in Q1.
  • Asia and the Pacific recorded 3% growth this first quarter, somewhat slower than expected due to mixed performance among destinations. Oceania (+9%) and North-East Asia (+5%) saw particularly robust results in Q1 2026. Overall, arrivals in Asia remained 11% below pre-pandemic values (89% of Q1 2019 levels).
  • The Americas recorded 2% more international arrivals this first quarter of 2026, with strong growth in Central America (+18%) but weaker in South America (-1%).
  • In the Middle East arrivals dropped 14% in Q1 2026, impacted by the conflict.
  • According to the latest survey of the Panel of Tourism Experts, the Middle East conflict, high transport and accommodation costs as well as other economic factors are the three main challenges affecting international tourism in 2026.
  • Almost two thirds of Panel Experts (64%) indicated that the Middle East conflict is negatively affecting travel demand for their destination, of which 43% consider the impact to be moderate and 21% high. Another 36% indicated the conflict is having little or no impact on demand.
  • The latest UN Tourism Confidence Index, reflects a cautiously positive outlook for May-August 2026, amid a challenging geopolitical environment. This period includes the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • On a scale of 0 to 200 (where 100 indicates equal expected performance), experts gave prospects for May-August 2026 a score of 105, below 117 for the period January-April.

Related links:

International tourism up 2% in Q1 2026 amid growing uncertainty

Volume 24 • Issue 2 • May 2026 (Excerpt)

World Tourism Barometer (PPT version)

World Tourism Barometer (English version)

International Tourism Highlights, 2024 edition

The Economic Contribution of Tourism and the Impact of COVID-19

UN Tourism Data Dashboard

Barometer Previous Editions

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June 02, 2026

International tourism up 2% in Q1 2026 amid growing uncertainty

International tourist arrivals grew 2% over the first quarter of 2026, despite disruption caused by the crisis in the Middle East in March.

Barometer

All Regions

April 15, 2026

Brief on the impact of the Middle East conflict on international tourism in the region

Prepared by UN Tourism’s Market Intelligence, Policies and Competitiveness Department (Updated 15 April 2026).

Barometer

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All Regions

January 20, 2026

International tourist arrivals up 4% in 2025 reflecting strong travel demand around the world

International tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) grew by 4% in 2025, as most destinations worldwide posted solid results. According to the first World Tourism Barometer of the year, an estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded globally in 2025, almost 60 million more than in 2024.

Barometer

All Regions

November 27, 2025

International Tourist Arrivals up 5% in the First Nine Months of 2025

International tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) grew 5% in January-September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 and 3% above pre-pandemic year 2019.

Barometer

All Regions

September 09, 2025

International tourism up 5% in first half of 2025 despite global challenges

International tourist arrivals grew 5% in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024. This is about 4% above pre-pandemic levels.

Barometer

All Regions

May 27, 2025

International tourist arrivals grew 5% in Q1 2025

International tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 5% in the first quarter of 2025 though results were mixed among regions and sub-regions.

Barometer

All Regions

January 21, 2025

International tourism recovers pre-pandemic levels in 2024

With 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals recorded globally, 2024 marked the recovery of international tourism from the worst crisis in the sector’s history. A majority of destinations welcomed more international tourists in 2024 than they did before the pandemic, while visitor spending also continued to grow strongly.

Barometer

All Regions

December 04, 2024

Global tourism set for full recovery by end of the year with spending growing faster than arrivals

Around 1.1 billion tourists travelled internationally in the first nine months of 2024, as the global tourism sector recovered 98% of pre-pandemic levels. According to the latest World Tourism Barometer by UN Tourism, a full recovery from the biggest crisis in the sector’s history is expected by the end of the year, despite economic, geopolitical and climate challenges.

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