By 2040, there will be more than 2.4 billion tourists traveling the world

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 08. 22. 11:29

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In recent decades, tourism has experienced unprecedented growth: between 1975 and 2019, the number of tourists doubled approximately every fifteen years, and today it exceeds 1.5 billion per year. According to a recent forecast by Deloitte, the number of global travelers could increase to over 2.4 billion by 2040.

Rapid recovery after the pandemic

Tourism was one of the sectors hardest hit by Covid-19, but the industry has recovered surprisingly quickly: in 2023, it managed to reach 88 percent of its pre-pandemic level. Most tourists now travel from China, and the most popular destinations remain France, Spain, the United States, Italy and China.

New sending countries may rise

According to forecasts, the expansion of tourism will not stop in the coming years. The current largest emitters – China, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Russia – could continue to increase their share, but new players could also become increasingly important. The rise of the middle class in countries such as Pakistan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Mexico could trigger new tourist flows worldwide.

Tourism as a global driver

The growth of international travel will pose economic, social and environmental challenges. While tourism revenues play an increasingly important role in economies, managing the impacts of mass tourism – from infrastructure pressures to sustainability issues – will be a key issue in the coming decades.

Current trends are transforming the world’s tourism map: in addition to familiar destinations, countries that are even less of a tourism powerhouse today may come to the fore.