
Global tourism exceeds pre-crisis levels – Asia with strongest growth
In 2024, global cross-border tourism surpassed the record figures of 2019 for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. This growth continued in the first quarter of 2025, with over 300 million tourists worldwide traveling abroad during this period. This represents an increase of around five percent compared to the same period in 2024 and three percent compared to 2019, the year before the outbreak of the pandemic. This development signals a strong recovery in the global travel industry. Asia and the Pacific recorded the strongest growth in international arrivals, with an increase of twelve percent. However, this upswing is also due to ongoing pent-up demand, as international arrivals in this region are still slightly below pre-pandemic levels, according to the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization). Increasing tourism within Asia and from Europe is contributing significantly to this development. In particular, destinations such as Thailand and Vietnam as beach destinations, as well as Japan for tours, are currently in high demand, and advance bookings for the coming winter are very strong, according to tour operators. This assessment is confirmed by many travel agencies. Among the top ten travel destinations for 2024, France once again secured the top spot with 102 million international visitors. This was helped not least by the hosting of the Summer Olympics in Paris, which attracted additional crowds of visitors. Spain, with 93,8 million international arrivals, is not far behind the leader. However, Spain's popularity also brings with it challenges, as demonstrated by the recent protests against mass tourism in hotspots such as Barcelona, Granada, and Malaga.

