Where International Travelers Are Spending the Most
Key Takeaways
- Europe had the highest international visitor spending in 2025, at $835 billion.
- North America was the only region where international visitor spending declined from 2024.
- The Middle East recorded the strongest growth of any region since 2019, at 26.8%.
International travel and tourism is a trillion-dollar industry that continues to grow around the world. However, one region moved in the opposite direction in 2025.
This visualization shows how much international visitors spent across seven global regions in 2025, using data from the World Travel & Tourism Council. The graphic also shows how spending in each region has changed since 2019 and 2024 in constant dollars.
The North American Decline
North America earned $235 billion from international visitors in 2025, down 3.3% from 2024 and 17.8% from 2019.
It was the only region in the dataset to record a year-over-year decline. By comparison, every other region remained above its 2019 level.
The table below lists each region’s total international visitor spending in 2025, along with its change from 2019 and 2024.
| Region | 2025 Int’l Visitor Spending ($B) |
Change from 2024 (%) |
Change from 2019 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 235 | -3.3 | -17.8 |
| Central and South America | 65 | 3.4 | 8.6 |
| Caribbean | 50 | 2.5 | 21.5 |
| Europe | 835 | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| Middle East | 183 | 5.2 | 26.8 |
| Africa | 75 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Asia Pacific | 573 | 8.3 | 1.0 |
Mexico set new tourism records in 2025 with nearly 100 million foreign visitors. Further north, Canada reportedly saw 17.5% year-over-year growth in international visitor spending.
The United States, however, held the continent back with declines of roughly 5% to 6% in both international tourist arrivals and visitor spending. A number of factors contributed to the decline, including longer visa interview wait times, travel restrictions, trade policy spillovers, and stricter border and immigration policies.
The Highest-Earning Regions Worldwide
Outside North America, international visitor spending grew across every region in 2025. Europe led with $835 billion, accounting for more than 40% of the total across the regions shown.
Asia Pacific ranked second at $573 billion and recorded 8.3% year-over-year growth. Despite that increase, spending was only 1% above its 2019 level.
The Caribbean generated $50 billion in international visitor spending, up 21.5% from 2019. That made it one of the strongest post-pandemic growth stories in the dataset.
The Middle East Leads Post-Pandemic Growth
The Middle East recorded the strongest growth from pre-pandemic levels of any region in the dataset. Led by Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, international visitor spending grew 26.8% between 2019 and 2025.
The region reached $183 billion in 2025, up 5.2% from the previous year.
However, 2026 is bringing new challenges for international tourism in the region, particularly amid the Iran War.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To take a closer look at Europe’s tourism boom, check out Travel and Tourism Contribute Greatly to Europe’s Economies on Voronoi.
- Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-how-much-international-visitors-spend-around-the-world/
