UN Report: Nigeria, Africa Record 12% Surge in Tourism

A new United Nations report has revealed that Nigeria and other African countries recorded a combined 12 per cent increase in international tourist arrivals between January and June 2025.

The growth, compared to the same period last year, represents the strongest regional performance worldwide.

The latest UN Tourism half-year report on global tourism showed that international tourist arrivals grew by five per cent in the first six months of 2025. This figure is about four per cent above pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 690 million tourists travelling internationally in that time. The results, however, were mixed among different global regions.

“In the face of global challenges, international tourism continues to see strong momentum and resilience,” the report stated. It added that the period “brought growing arrival numbers and revenues for most destinations around the world, which contribute to local economies, jobs and livelihoods. Yet, this also reminds us of our great responsibility to ensure this growth is sustainable and inclusive and to work with all local stakeholders in that sense.”

Commenting on the findings, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili noted that “Africa saw the strongest performance while Asia Pacific continued to rebound.” The data from the World Tourism Barometer showed that both North Africa, with a 14 per cent rise, and Sub-Saharan Africa, with an 11 per cent increase, recorded double-digit growth.

In contrast, other regions saw more varied results. Europe welcomed nearly 340 million international tourists, a four per cent increase from 2024. The Americas recorded three per cent growth overall, though this was bolstered by a strong 14 per cent rise in South America while North America saw flat results. The Middle East saw a four per cent decrease in arrivals, though it remains the region with the strongest performance compared to pre-pandemic levels, sitting 29 per cent above 2019 figures. Asia and the Pacific grew by 11 per cent, nearly reaching its pre-pandemic numbers.

The report also included a note of caution, pointing out that uncertainty from economic and geopolitical tensions could affect travel confidence. Lower consumer confidence was ranked as the third main factor affecting tourism in a recent expert survey, followed by geopolitical risks. Despite these concerns, the latest UN Tourism Confidence Index predicted a slight uptick in confidence levels for the final four months of 2025.