Saudi Arabia Leads Global Tourism Recovery, Indonesia Still Lags Behind

The global tourism map has undergone a major transformation following the Covid-19 pandemic. Countries that were not previously major tourist destinations have recorded the highest surges in international visitors compared to pre-pandemic conditions. Saudi Arabia has emerged as the biggest winner, while popular destinations such as the United States, Italy, and Indonesia have yet to fully recover. According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) comparing international tourist arrivals in 2025 to 2019 levels, Saudi Arabia topped the list with a 67% increase. This surge followed massive government investment in developing the tourism sector through projects like NEOM and the Red Sea Project, alongside the expansion of visa policies for foreign visitors. North Africa also enjoyed a rising flow of tourists, with Morocco recording a 53% increase and Egypt up 47%. In South America, Brazil saw a 46% rise in tourists, followed by Colombia with a 45% increase, driven by improved regional flight connectivity and the growing popularity of nature-based destinations. Japan was the only Asian country to make the top 10 list, with international tourist numbers soaring 34% compared to 2019. The weakening of the yen in recent years has made travel to the country significantly cheaper for foreign visitors. Europe recorded a solid recovery, although the pace was slower than in the Middle East and North Africa. Norway was the continent’s top performer with 28% growth, followed by Serbia at 27% and Denmark at 22%. Key destinations like Portugal, Spain, and France also managed to surpass pre-pandemic visitation levels. However, the recovery has not been uniform. Germany still recorded a 6% decline in tourists compared to 2019, while Italy was down 5%. Ireland experienced a much deeper drop of 32%, the second-largest decline in the world after Israel. Geopolitical conflict remains a major factor suppressing the tourism industry. Israel recorded a 71% drop in international tourists amid the war in Gaza, marking the deepest contraction in the OECD data. The United States also remained below pre-pandemic levels with a 14% decline, while Canada was down 11%. In the Asia-Pacific region, the recovery process has been slower than in other areas. Thailand still recorded a 17% decline, New Zealand was down 9%, and Australia decreased by 6%. Indonesia remained 4% below its 2019 international tourist arrival levels. One of the main causes was the longer-lasting border closure policies during the pandemic, which made the recovery more gradual.