Report predicts a 4.7% rise in visitors compared to 2019 as the region recovers from Covid-19

According to a new report by global market intelligence firm BMI, Asia’s tourism arrivals are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2025, with a projected increase of 4.7 per cent compared to 2019.

Despite this recovery, Asia is still lagging behind other regions such as Western Europe and Latin America, where tourism arrivals are forecasted to grow by 16.3 per cent and 13.9 per cent, respectively, during the same period. One contributing factor is that Asia took longer to remove Covid-19 restrictions compared with other regions.

China, a significant source market for numerous Asian destinations, began reopening its borders only in 2023, further delaying the recovery timeline.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is projected to lead the recovery, with tourism arrivals forecasted to surge 34.4 per cent above pre-pandemic levels by 2025. Despite recent regional conflicts, MENA’s recovery has remained resilient, driven by a swift reopening, the lifting of pandemic restrictions, and events such as Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and Saudi Arabia’s strategic diversification of its tourism offerings.

Globally, the total number of international arrivals is expected to rise by 12.4 per cent in 2025, reaching 1.6 billion. This represents a sharp increase compared to the 3.9 per cent growth projected for 2024 from pre-pandemic numbers. However, the rate of global growth is forecasted to slow to 8.2 per cent in 2025, compared to 16.1 per cent in 2024, as the industry transitions from recovery into stable, long-term growth.

While Asia works to bridge the gap and rebuild its tourism market, other regions are already advancing at a faster pace, driven by successful strategies, event tourism, and strategic recovery plans.