Saudi Arabia has recorded the largest increase in international tourist arrivals compared to pre-COVID numbers, according to newly released data from the OECD, while Israel saw the steepest decline.
These figures are taken from the OECD’s 2026 Tourism Trends and Policies report, which compiles international tourism data and highlights best practices, key policy reforms, and statistical profiles for 53 OECD and partner countries. International arrivals were compared between 2019 and 2025.
The report provides a clear picture of which destinations have recovered and which continue to struggle.
With a 67% increase in international arrivals over the period, Saudi Arabia tops the ranking, making it the fastest-growing tourist destination in the world. Last year, it welcomed around 30 million international visitors, having invested billions in tourism as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.
Ranked: The Countries Gaining and Losing the Most Tourists ✈️https://t.co/SX81327yml pic.twitter.com/pROq0rvzfY
— Visual Capitalist (@VisualCap) July 21, 2026
In recent years, the country has transformed its image by introducing easier visa policies, expanding airline capacity, and making major investments in heritage sites, entertainment, luxury resorts, and large-scale events.
While the figures suggest that these efforts are paying off, they also demonstrate how much further the country must go to achieve its goal of attracting 150 million domestic and international visitors each year by 2030. An estimated 65% of Saudi Arabia’s 29.3 million international visitors in 2025 came from Muslim-majority countries, led by Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Gulf states. Makkah Province, home to Mecca and the gateway city of Jeddah, attracted 22.5 million visitors — more than any other region — although this figure includes arrivals via Jeddah airport and is not limited to religious tourism.
Nevertheless, 2025 marked a milestone as non-religious tourism (52%) overtook religious tourism (48%) for the first time, up from 44% in 2019. This suggests that the country’s efforts to diversify beyond Hajj and Umrah are beginning to bear fruit.
Morocco ranks second, with international arrivals up by 53% compared to 2019. This is followed by Egypt (up by 47%), Brazil (up by 46%), Colombia (up by 45%) and Japan (up by 34%).
Europe rounds out the top ten. Norway is up 28%, though Haaland fever is likely to push this figure even higher in 2026. Serbia is up 27%, and Denmark is up 22%. Beyond the top ten, notable increases were also recorded in Portugal, Spain and France.
Overall, international tourism across the 53 countries studied grew by 4% compared to 2019, reaching approximately 1.5 billion cross-border arrivals by 2025.
However, not every destination has recovered.
Israel recorded the largest decline by far, with international arrivals down 71% from 2019 levels. This reflects the collapse in tourism following the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas and the subsequent regional conflict. This decline occurred despite Israel having enjoyed a strong recovery prior to the war, with around 3.2 million visitors welcomed during the first nine months of 2023, suggesting it was on track for one of its strongest tourism years since the pandemic.
Ireland ranked second among the countries with the biggest declines, with arrivals down 32%, followed by Argentina with a decline of 23%. Analysts have attributed Ireland’s decline to rising travel costs, reduced accommodation capacity, weaker demand from key overseas markets, and the ongoing effects of Brexit.
Elsewhere, the United States recorded a 14% decline compared to 2019, while arrivals to Canada were down 11%.
Germany (-6%) and Italy (-5%) also remained below their pre-pandemic levels.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Thailand recorded the largest decline (-17%), followed by New Zealand (-9%), Australia (-6%) and Indonesia (-4%). Peru also remained well below its 2019 figure, with arrivals down 22%.
Despite these exceptions, the OECD concludes that international tourism has now largely recovered from the pandemic, with most destinations matching or surpassing their pre-COVID visitor numbers.
