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  • TOURISM STATISTICS
  • TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
  • TOURISM POLICY

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By Bastian Herre, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser

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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world tourism organization statistics

International tourism, number of arrivals

world tourism organization statistics

All Countries and Economies

Country Most Recent Year Most Recent Value

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Un tourism and un habitat partner for a better urban future through tourism.

UN Tourism and UN Habitat Partner for a Better Urban Future Through Tourism

New Products and Experiences: an opportunity for mountain tourism

New Products and Experiences: an opportunity for mountain tourism

UN Tourism reports openness is back to pre-pandemic levels

UN Tourism reports openness is back to pre-pandemic levels

UN Tourism Calls on Sector to #InvestInWomen

#IWD24 Webinar Series: Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress

UN Adopts a New Global Standard to Measure the Sustainability of Tourism

UN Adopts a New Global Standard to Measure the Sustainability of Tourism

The first global dashboard for tourism insights

COVID-19: MEASURES TO SUPPORT TRAVEL AND TOURISM

As society progresses, the tourism sector, much like many other sectors, needs to transform to serve as a catalyst for prosperity at a universal scale. Enhancing the well-being of individuals, safeguarding the natural environment, stimulating economic advancement, and fostering international harmony are key goals that are the fundamental essence of UN Tourism. The organization takes on the role of driving a sustainable force that is now central to many economies

A lazy image

Opens Calls for Best Tourism Villages 2024

According to the first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year, international tourism ended 2023 at 88% of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals.

The multi-dimensional nature of the tourism sector, combined with the dynamics of the source of investment capital presents a complex picture for understanding and measuring tourism investments.

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN Tourism

"UN tourism is leading the way forward in growing investments into the tourism sector. We serve as the bridge between investors and destinations, and we guide investments where they will have the biggest impact in making tourism more resilient, inclusive and sustainable."

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili UN Tourism Secretary-General

UN Tourism Events

* The designations employed in this section of the website do not imply the expression of any opinions whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Vineyard Ararat

Yerevan, Armenia

8th un tourism global conference on wine tourism.

First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

First un tourism regional forum on gastronomy tourism for africa.

2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on Brand Africa under the theme: "Promoting Africa to unlock the tourism sector’s growth potential"

2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on Brand Africa under the theme: "P...

First Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific

Cebu, The Philippines

First un tourism regional forum on gastronomy tourism for asia and the....

Cebu

Cebu, the Philippines

36th cap-csa and first un tourism regional forum on gastronomy tourism....

2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Tourism in Asia and the Pacific

Bali, Indonesia

2nd un tourism regional conference on the empowerment of women in tour....

69th Meeting of UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas

69th Meeting of UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas

Local Satisfaction: Understanding the Induced Impacts of Tourism on Local Society, Economy, Culture and Environment

Local Satisfaction: Understanding the Induced Impacts of Tourism on Lo...

High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism - United Nations General Assembly

High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism - United Nations General Assembly

Tirana, Albania

Tirana, Albania

70th meeting of the commission for europe (ceu), tourism brings progress. as one of the biggest sectors in the global economy, it has great power to bridge cultures, generate new opportunities and promote sustainable development..

Sustainable tourism

Newsletters

UN Tourism News 80: Diversification, Innovation and Sustainability

UN Tourism News 80: Diversification, Innovation and Sustainability

AM NEWS | VOL. 61 March 2023

AM NEWS | VOL. 62 March 2023

UN Tourism News 79: Data, Sustainability and Collaboration

UN Tourism News 79: Data, Sustainability and Collaboration

UN Tourism News 78: Official Visits Spotlight Tourism for Culture and Prioritise Investments

UN Tourism News 78: Official Visits Spotlight Tourism for Culture and Prioritise Investments

IMAGES

  1. Global travel numbers 2020: UNWTO recorded 1.5 billion international

    world tourism organization statistics

  2. world tourism statistics

    world tourism organization statistics

  3. 6 Key Travel Industry Growth Statistics

    world tourism organization statistics

  4. United Nation’s World Tourism Organization annual report continues to

    world tourism organization statistics

  5. Tourism

    world tourism organization statistics

  6. COVID-19: $1 Trillion Loss Could Set Global Tourism Industry Back 20

    world tourism organization statistics

COMMENTS

  1. Statistics of tourism

    The UNWTO Statistics Department is committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for policy objectives.. The department works towards advancing the methodological frameworks for measuring tourism and expanding its analytical potential, designs ...

  2. Tourism Statistics

    Tourism Statistics. Get the latest and most up-to-date tourism statistics for all the countries and regions around the world. Data on inbound, domestic and outbound tourism is available, as well as on tourism industries, employment and complementary indicators. All statistical tables available are displayed and can be accessed individually ...

  3. The UN Tourism Data Dashboard

    UN Tourism Data Dashboard. The UN Tourism Data Dashboard - provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels. Data covers tourist arrivals, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality and accommodation (data on number of rooms ...

  4. Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Data 2017

    Deriving from the most comprehensive statistical database available on the tourism sector, the Yearbook of Tourism Statistics focusses on data related to inbound tourism (total arrivals and overnight stays), broken down by country of origin. ... World Tourism Organization (2023), Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Data 2017 - 2021, ...

  5. PDF Volume 19 • Issue 3 • May 2021

    Volume 19 • Issue 3 • May 2021. Annex - 1. The following pages contain detailed tables on tourism related indicators such as international tourist arrivals, international tourism receipts and expenditure collected by UNWTO from national institutions, as well as the International tourism in the Balance of Payments and the evaluation of UNWTO ...

  6. UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, January 2022

    International tourism up 4% in 2021 but still 72% below pre-pandemic levels Global tourism experienced a mild 4% upturn in 2021, with 15 million more international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) than in 2020 but remained 72% below the levels of pre-pandemic year 2019 according to preliminary estimates. This follows a 73% plunge in international travel in 2020, the worst year on record ...

  7. World Tourism Barometer: November 2023

    An estimated 975 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September. 2023, an increase of 38% over the same months of 2022, though 13% fewer than in 2019 (UNWTO Tourism Barometer November 2023-Excerpt). Overall, tourism recovered 87% of pre-pandemic levels in January-September 2023.

  8. 145 key tourism statistics

    145 key tourism statistics. Data are collected from countries by UN Tourism through a series of yearly questionnaires that are in line with the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics (IRTS 2008) standard led by UN Tourism and approved by the United Nations.

  9. World Tourism Barometer: September 2023

    An estimated 700 million tourists travelled internationally from January to July 2023, 43% higher than in 2022 although 16% less compared to 2019. International tourism is experiencing a rapid recovery in Asia and the Pacific where arrivals climbed to 61% of pre-pandemic levels this period after the reopening of many destinations and source ...

  10. UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, May 2021

    Tourist numbers down 83% in Q1 2021 but confidence slowly rising. International tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) dropped by 83% in the period January-March 2021 compared to 2020, as travel restrictions remained high and consumer confidence low due to the coronavirus pandemic. This follows an unprecedented drop of 73% in 2020, the worst year on record for international tourism. By regions ...

  11. World Tourism Barometer: November 2022

    In terms of tourist numbers, the year 2022 is expected to close with over 900 million international arrivals, despite growing challenges pointing to a softening of the recovery pace. International tourist arrivals: 2020, 2021 and Scenarios for 2022 (monthly change over 2019,%) Source UNWTO World Tourism Barometer: November 2022 Press Release.

  12. Yearbook of tourism statistics

    Title Yearbook of tourism statistics : data 2017-2021 : 2023 edition. Access PDF: 9789284424139_2023 - PDF; Authors World Tourism Organization. Date Madrid : World Tourism Organization, 1986-Description 1138 p. ISBN / ISSN 9789284424139 1011-8977. Collections Resource Type > Documents and Publications > Publications.

  13. Compendium of Tourism Statistics, Data 2017

    Complementary (macroeconomic) indicators. The 2023 Edition of the Compendium of Tourism Statistics presents in English, French and Spanish data for 194 countries from 2017 to 2021. Moreover, in this edition, the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is taken into account, as it has caused an unprecedented situation worldwide that has especially ...

  14. Tourism

    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 ...

  15. Global and regional tourism performance

    The UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard - provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels. Data covers tourist arrivals, tourism receipts, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality, domestic tourism and data on accommodation and employment.

  16. World Tourism Barometer: May 2023

    Read more on the UNWTO Tourism Barometer (May 2023 excerpt) here. The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is a publication of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) that monitors short-term tourism trends on a regular basis to provide global tourism stakeholders with up-to-date analysis of international tourism. The information is updated several times a year and includes an analysis of the latest ...

  17. Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Data 2015

    Deriving from the most comprehensive statistical database available on the tourism sector, the Yearbook of Tourism Statistics focusses on data related to inbound tourism ( total arrivals and overnight stays ), broken down by country of origin. ... World Tourism Organization (2021), Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Data 2015 - 2019, ...

  18. International tourism, number of arrivals

    International tourism, number of arrivals. World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files. License : CC BY-4.0. LineBarMap. Share Details. Label. 1995 - 2020.

  19. Compendium of Tourism Statistics, Data 2015

    Compendium of Tourism Statistics, Data 2015 - 2019, 2021 Edition. Published: February 2021 Pages: 854. eISBN: 978-92-844-2249-4. Abstract: Understanding, for each country, where its inbound tourism is generated is essential for analysing international tourism flows and devising marketing strategies, such as those related to the positioning of ...

  20. World Tourism Barometer: January 2023

    World Tourism Barometer: January 2023. International tourism recovers 63% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022. By. root. -. 2023-01-27. 0. 3916. According to new data from UNWTO, more than 900 million tourists traveled internationally in 2022 - double the number recorded in 2021.

  21. UN Tourism

    Opens Calls for Best Tourism Villages 2024. According to the first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year, international tourism ended 2023 at 88% of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals. The multi-dimensional nature of the tourism sector, combined with the dynamics of the source of investment capital ...