Global Tourism Up 2% in Q1 2026 as Oceania Arrivals Rise 9%
“UN Tourism recorded 307 million international arrivals in the first quarter of 2026, up two percent globally, with Oceania posting one of the strongest regional results at nine percent growth.”
International tourism grew two percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to UN Tourism's World Tourism Barometer covering that quarter. Around 307 million people travelled internationally in the quarter, roughly six million more than in the first quarter of 2025.
A mixed picture across Asia-Pacific
Oceania was one of the standout regions, recording nine percent growth in the quarter, ahead of North-East Asia's five percent. Asia and the Pacific overall grew a more modest three percent, with a strong February (+9%) giving way to a softer March (+2%) as disruption around Middle Eastern air hubs weighed on South Asian arrivals, which fell 27 percent that month. Asia as a whole remained 11 percent below pre-pandemic levels in the quarter, at 89 percent of Q1 2019 arrivals.
UN Tourism's outlook for full-year 2026 pointed to continued growth, projecting international arrivals could reach 1.5 billion or more for the year, driven by strong consumer demand, improved air connectivity and growing outbound travel from emerging markets.
