New Delhi: International tourism continued to grow in the first half of 2026, but the pace remained fragile as geopolitical tensions, higher travel costs and disruptions to air connectivity affected demand across several regions.
According to the latest World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, an estimated 690 million tourists travelled internationally between January and June 2026, around 3 million more than during the corresponding period last year.
International arrivals increased by 2% in the first quarter of 2026 before declining by 1% in the second quarter, UN Tourism said in a press release.
Arrivals fell by 3% in April, with UN Tourism attributing the decline largely to the calendar effect of the Easter holiday period beginning in March and the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
The slowdown continued in June, when global international arrivals declined by 3%. Western Europe recorded a 6% fall during the month, partly linked to a heatwave affecting some destinations.
South-East Asia also saw international arrivals decline by 5% in June. Weaker demand from Asian markets, geopolitical tensions, disruptions to air travel through the Middle East and higher travel costs contributed to the decline.
Some destinations in Oceania recorded a 6% drop in arrivals in June, with Typhoon Sinlaku also affecting tourism activity during the second quarter.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais said the latest figures showed that the tourism sector was absorbing significant pressure while continuing to move forward.
She noted that tourism had not stopped growing, although the growth remained fragile, and stressed that the impact of the Middle East situation on destinations beyond the region demonstrated the need for resilience across the global tourism sector.
The regional performance during the first half of 2026 was mixed. Africa recorded 4% growth in international arrivals, while Europe posted a 3% increase. The Americas registered 2% growth, although results varied considerably between its sub-regions.
Asia and the Pacific recorded 1% growth compared with the first half of 2025 but remained 11% below 2019 levels. UN Tourism said disruptions to air connectivity, higher air fares and uncertainty continued to affect intra-regional demand.
North-East Asia recorded 3% growth during the six months. In contrast, South Asia registered a 5% decline and South-East Asia recorded a 1% decline compared with the same period in 2025.
The Middle East experienced the sharpest regional decline, with international arrivals falling by 22% in the first half of 2026 as the region was directly affected by the conflict.
According to UN Tourism, the conflict has negatively affected international tourism in the Middle East and other regions since early March. However, disruptions to air traffic gradually eased in May and June after the announcement of a ceasefire, allowing some air routes to reopen and contributing to an uneven recovery in consumer sentiment.
Against this backdrop, UN Tourism has revised its outlook for international tourism in 2026. International tourist arrivals are now expected to increase by between 1% and 2% globally, compared with the organisation’s January forecast of 3% to 4%.
The revised outlook remains dependent on the duration of the conflict and its potential impact on oil prices and overall inflation.
The latest data also indicates that travellers are likely to remain focused on value for money. Elevated prices and uncertainty are expected to encourage more international travellers to choose destinations closer to home or opt for domestic travel.
