The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) has released its latest report on the top-performing tourism destinations for the first quarter of 2025.
Egypt secured the 10th position worldwide, boasting a 21 percent increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2024, outperforming countries like Lithuania, Palau, and South Korea. Morocco landed in ninth place with a 22 percent increase, while Paraguay topped the list with an astonishing 53 percent growth.
The report highlighted a significant surge in tourism for South American countries. Paraguay led the way, followed by Brazil and Chile, both seeing a 48 percent increase. Gambia came in fourth with 46 percent growth. Asian nations also featured prominently, with Vietnam (30 percent) and Japan (23 percent) taking the sixth and seventh spots, respectively. Israel was listed in fifth place with a 31 percent increase.
The report noted that its data relies on figures recorded up to May 2025, focusing on destinations that provided complete statistics for January and February.
It also cautioned that some countries, including Israel, Palau, and Iran, still have tourist numbers below their 2019 levels. This could make their reported growth percentages appear high, potentially not reflecting a full recovery to pre-pandemic volumes.
Global tourism registered a five percent growth in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by three percent. The number of international tourists is projected to reach 300 million by the end of Q1 2025, an increase of 14 million from the previous year.
Africa achieved the highest growth rate at nine percent, followed by Asia and the Pacific with a 13 percent increase, despite not yet fully recovering its tourism capacity. The Americas, Europe, and the Middle East, meanwhile, recorded more modest growth rates ranging between one percent and three percent.
Despite ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges, experts anticipate continued strong demand for travel, with a projected growth in tourist numbers between three percent and five percent during 2025. International tourism revenues also reached a record two trillion dollars, representing a 15 percent increase over the pre-pandemic period.
Egypt’s performance remains commendable within this context, reflecting its continuous efforts to boost the tourism sector and attract more visitors to its unique civilizational treasures.
