In short: international tourism has continued to grow. In 2025, international tourist arrivals rose by 4% to approximately 1.52 billion, nearly 60 million more than in 2024, according to UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO). Europe accounted for 793 million of these arrivals, and the Middle East was the region that grew the most compared to pre-pandemic levels.
What UN Tourism's latest data really says
When talking about "record tourism figures," it's advisable to go to the source, because in this sector, figures can easily be inflated from one article to another without anyone citing their origin. The global reference is UN Tourism, the United Nations agency specializing in tourism (until recently known as UNWTO), which periodically publishes its barometer of international tourist arrivals by region.
According to that barometer, in 2024, the world received 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals. This figure needs to be put into perspective: it already represents 99% of pre-pandemic levels and an 11% increase compared to 2023, meaning 140 million more arrivals in a single year. Practically everything lost during 2020 and 2021 had been recovered by the end of 2024.
The following year confirmed that it was not a one-off rebound but a trend. In 2025, international arrivals grew by another 4%, reaching around 1.52 billion, nearly 60 million more than the previous year. Two consecutive years of sustained growth, with data clearly surpassing the historical peak before the pandemic.
Europe remains the world's leading tourism power
Of those 1.52 billion arrivals in 2025, the region with the most tourists was Europe, with 793 million international tourists, 4% more than in 2024 and 6% above 2019 levels, according to the same UN Tourism data. In other words: more than half of the world's international tourism passes, at some point during the year, through European soil.
This is no coincidence. Europe boasts several structural advantages that other regions will take years to match: short distances between countries with very different cultures and landscapes, a dense network of airports and high-speed trains, and a regulatory framework that facilitates movement from one country to another. The 27 countries of the European Union form, for practical travel purposes, an almost frictionless space: no border controls in the Schengen Area for much of the travel, with the euro as a common currency in most destinations, and with roaming regulated since 2017 thanks to the "Roam Like At Home" (RLAH) mechanism, which obliges European operators not to charge extra for using a mobile phone in another EU country.
This last point partly explains why Europe is so attractive to intra-European tourists: traveling from Madrid to Rome or from Lisbon to Amsterdam is not only fast, but can also be done without worrying about data consumption. The problem, as we will see below, arises as soon as the destination falls outside this regulatory bubble.
Middle East, the fastest-growing region
If Europe wins by volume, the Middle East wins by growth rate. According to UN Tourism, in 2024 this region recorded arrivals 32% above 2019 levels, the strongest recovery of all world regions analyzed by the agency. No other area on the planet has surpassed its pre-pandemic peak by such a wide margin.
Behind this data lies a conscious effort by several Persian Gulf countries to diversify their economies beyond oil, investing heavily in hotel infrastructure, international events, and long-haul air connectivity. The result, according to the figures, is that the region has transitioned from being a technical stopover for many flights to becoming a final destination for a growing number of travelers.
For those traveling there, this same dynamism has a practical implication: these are markets where tourist demand for mobile data has grown at the same pace as arrivals, which has boosted the supply of connectivity solutions for visitors, including travel eSIMs.
Why international tourism continues to grow
No macro figure can be explained in isolation, so it's worth pausing for a moment to consider why. There's no need to invent any additional data to understand the underlying causes: these are well-known and verifiable trends without needing a single extra number.
First, the recovery of commercial aviation. After years of restrictions, airlines have been reopening routes and adding frequencies, which in practice means more available seats and, in many cases, more affordable tickets than a few years ago. Second, the accumulated momentum of demand itself: millions of people who postponed trips during the pandemic have gradually resumed their plans. Third, the diversification of destinations: countries that previously depended on a single economic sector have embraced tourism as a growth engine, investing in hotels, airports, and international events, something particularly visible in the Middle East region.
And fourth, a factor that often goes unnoticed in headlines but which any traveler recognizes: travel logistics have been simplified. Booking a flight, accommodation, or sorting out connectivity at the destination has become a much faster process than a decade ago, which reduces the friction of deciding to travel, especially for short or last-minute getaways.
Four key facts at a glance
| Data Point | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Tourist Arrivals | 1.4 billion (99% of pre-pandemic level, +11% vs 2023, +140 million) | 2024 | UN Tourism |
| International Tourist Arrivals | ~1.52 billion (+4% vs 2024, +60 million) | 2025 | UN Tourism |
| International Tourists in Europe | 793 million (+4% vs 2024, +6% vs 2019) | 2025 | UN Tourism |
| Arrivals in Middle East vs 2019 | +32% above pre-pandemic level | 2024 | UN Tourism |
What all this means for you as a traveler
Beyond the macro picture, these figures have a very direct translation into the daily life of anyone organizing a trip: more people are traveling, more routes are open, and there is more competition among destinations to offer a good visitor experience. And connectivity has become a central part of that experience, although it is not always discussed with the same rigorous data as the number of arrivals.
Some practical ideas derived from this context:
- If you are traveling within the EU, take advantage of roaming being regulated since 2017: your Spanish plan should work without extra charges in other countries within the community. Even so, it's a good idea to check the data limit included in your plan before you leave, as it is not infinite.
- If your destination is outside the EU — and with the growth of regions like the Middle East, more and more travelers are in this situation — your Spanish operator's roaming can be prohibitively expensive or simply not available under reasonable conditions. This is where a travel eSIM usually pays off compared to traditional roaming; you can see the full comparison in our guide on eSIM vs. roaming.
- If you've never used an eSIM, you don't need to be a tech expert to activate it: in just a few minutes, even before leaving home, you can have data ready for your arrival. We explain exactly what it is in our guide what an eSIM is and how to install it step-by-step in how to install an eSIM.
- If you are undecided between a physical SIM card and an eSIM, especially for destinations where you will make several stops, you should read the comparison between international SIM card and eSIM before deciding.
- If your route passes through several European countries on the same trip — increasingly common given Europe's importance as a tourist region — it's worth looking for plans that cover the entire continent at once, such as eSIM Europe, instead of contracting something different at each border.
- If your destination is the United States, one of the markets with the highest international visitor traffic, it's advisable to sort out connectivity before landing; you can see the options in eSIM United States.
At PuraSIM, we cover more than 200 destinations and provide 24/7 support via email and WhatsApp, so if you have any questions before, during, or after activating your eSIM, there's always someone on hand to help you resolve them.
How to read these figures without falling for empty headlines
It's easy to find articles that talk about "record tourism figures" without citing the source of the data, or that mix projections with confirmed figures as if they were the same. The data in this article are those published and confirmed by UN Tourism for 2024 and 2025; any figures for subsequent years are, by definition, projections, and should be treated as such until the agency publishes the actual data.
What can be affirmed with the available data is that the underlying trend is clear: international tourism has consecutively broken its own historical record for two years, with Europe as the volume driver and the Middle East as the relative growth driver. And in parallel, the way travelers resolve their connectivity at the destination has been changing, with eSIM gaining ground as an alternative to traditional roaming and local physical SIM cards, especially for short trips or routes involving multiple countries.
This also has a practical effect on how to plan a trip today: if previously it was enough to look at flights and hotels, now resolving connectivity has become another step on the checklist, on par with travel insurance or documentation. It is no exaggeration to say that, for a large part of today's travelers, arriving without mobile data is as inconvenient as arriving without an accommodation reservation. The difference is that connectivity, unlike accommodation, can be sorted out from your mobile phone a few minutes before boarding the plane, without queues or hassles at the destination airport.
If you want to delve deeper into this specific area—how much Spaniards spend on roaming when traveling abroad, or how the eSIM market has evolved in recent years—we have two specific guides with our own data: roaming statistics for Spaniards abroad and global eSIM market growth statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions about International Tourism and Connectivity
How many international tourists were there in the world in 2025?
According to UN Tourism, in 2025, international tourist arrivals grew by 4% compared to the previous year, reaching around 1.52 billion, about 60 million more than in 2024.
Has tourism already recovered to pre-pandemic levels?
Yes. In 2024, the sector already reached 99% of pre-pandemic levels with 1.4 billion arrivals, and the additional 4% growth in 2025 confirms that these levels have been surpassed.
Which region of the world has the most international tourism?
Europe, with 793 million international tourists in 2025 according to UN Tourism, which represents 4% more than in 2024 and 6% above 2019. It is the region that concentrates the largest absolute volume of arrivals on the planet.
Which region has grown the most compared to pre-pandemic?
The Middle East. In 2024, UN Tourism recorded arrivals 32% above 2019 levels in this region, the strongest recovery among all areas analyzed by the organization.
Does roaming work the same across all of Europe?
Within the 27 countries of the European Union, roaming has been regulated since 2017 by the "Roam Like At Home" mechanism, which prevents surcharges when using a mobile phone from one country to another within the bloc. Outside the EU, this protection does not apply, and each operator sets its own conditions, which are usually much more expensive.
Do I need an eSIM if I already have roaming included in my plan?
It depends on where you are traveling and how much data your plan includes. If your destination is outside the EU or your plan has limited data, a travel eSIM is usually cheaper and offers more GB. We explain this in detail in our comparison of eSIM vs. roaming.
Is it difficult to install an eSIM for a trip?
No, it's one of the quickest steps in preparing a trip: you scan a QR code or install it from a link, and in a few minutes, it's ready to use as soon as you land. You can follow the complete process in our guide on how to install an eSIM.
