Tehran – According to UN tourism, international tourists around the world rose 5% compared to the first half of 2025, exceeding 4% compared to the first half of 2025.
Nearly 690 million people traveled abroad between January and June, 33 million more than 2024.
“In the face of global challenges, international tourism continues to see strong momentum and resilience,” UN Secretary-General of Tourism Zurab Pololikashvili said in a statement. “This growth is contributing to the local economy, employment and livelihoods, but it reminds us of our responsibility to ensure it is sustainable and inclusive.”
Statistics compiled by the UN agency show that Africa rose 12% year-on-year, with both North Africa (+14%) and sub-Saharan Africa (+11%) posting double-digit increases.
Europe welcomed around 340 million visitors, 4% higher than 2024 and 7% higher than 2019 levels. Northern, Western and Southern Mediterranean Europe each increased by 3%, while Central and Eastern Europe rose by 9%, but less than 11% since 2019.
The Americas increased by 3% overall, reaching 14% growth in South America. Central America rose 2%, but North America and the Caribbean were flat, with US demand falling and impacting the outcome.
Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific increased by 11%, reaching 92% of pre-pandemic levels. Northeast Asia grew by 20% compared to 2024, but still below 8% in 2019. Japan, Vietnam and Morocco recorded some of the strongest national interests, each with double digit increases.
The Middle East (West Asia) has declined 4% after strong rebounds over the past few years, but has recorded 29% more arrivals than in 2019, with the highest recovery rate compared to pre-pandemic levels.
According to the IATA, both international air traffic and capacity rose 7% in the first six months of the year. Global hotel occupancy rates were 69% in June and 71% in July, not much change in 2024.
Additionally, the UN tourism confidence index from September to December rose from 114 to 120 over the past four months, with half of the experts surveyed expecting stronger results for the rest of the year. The agency maintained its January forecast of growth rates of 3% to 5% of international arrivals in 2025.
morning