The rebound of global tourism is not benefiting all countries equally. Between 2019 and 2025, some destinations have recorded a dramatic rise in international visitor arrivals, while others continue to struggle to return to their pre-crisis levels from the COVID-19 health emergency. New OECD data, compiled by the Visual Capitalist data-visualization platform, highlight the big winners… and the “laggards” of this rebound.
The Middle East, North Africa and South America Lead the Recovery
Six years after the reference year 2019, the landscape of international tourism has undergone a profound evolution. The figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), relayed by the Visual Capitalist data-visualization platform, show that the strongest gains no longer concern only traditional tourist hotspots.
Saudi Arabia comes well ahead of the pack with a 67% increase in international tourist arrivals between 2019 and 2025. This result is largely explained by the massive investments undertaken in recent years to develop the tourism sector and diversify the country’s economy.
Morocco occupies second place with a 53% rise, followed by Egypt (47%). In South America, Brazil (46%) and Colombia (45%) round out the top five, evidence that the region is attracting more and more international travelers.
Japan is the sole Asian representative in the ranking with a 34% increase. It ranks sixth, ahead of Chile (33%). Europe places three countries in the top ten: Norway (28%), Serbia (27%) and Denmark (22%).
More broadly, the European continent has also regained its tourism dynamism. Excluding this ranking, Portugal, Spain and France also report higher numbers of international arrivals than in 2019. However, their growth remains less spectacular than that observed in the Middle East or North Africa.
Not all countries have regained their pre-2020 levels
While many destinations show growth, several major tourism powers remain lagging. In Europe, Germany still records a 6% decline in international arrivals compared with 2019, while Italy is down 5%.
Ireland is among the hardest hit, with a 32% drop in international visitors. According to the data analyzed by Visual Capitalist, this represents the second-largest decline observed globally.
At the head of the declines stands Israel, whose tourism was heavily affected by the Gaza conflict. International tourist arrivals there fell by 71%, the largest drop of the entire ranking.
North America is also experiencing an incomplete rebound. The United States still welcomes 14% fewer international tourists than in 2019, while Canada shows an 11% decline. In South America, Argentina (-23%) and Peru (-22%) also remain below their pre-pandemic levels.
Finally, several Asia-Pacific destinations continue to feel the effects of the lengthy border closures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thailand records a 17% decrease in international arrivals compared with 2019. New Zealand (-9%), Australia (-6%) and Indonesia (-4%) also display a slower rebound than many other countries.
These gaps illustrate how uneven the global tourism revival is. While some destinations benefit from investments, diversification of their offerings, or renewed traveler interest, others are penalized by conflicts, lasting consequences of the pandemic, or a more gradual return of international flows.
