World tourism has returned to the big stage again - and this return was "noisy." According to UN Tourism, the total revenue from international tourism in 2024 reached $1.74 trillion. This is 14 percent higher than the pre-pandemic figure of 2019.
In terms of leadership, there was no doubt: the USA secured first place in the ranking, earning $215 billion from international tourists. Interestingly, Europe's "permanent registration" is at the top: Spain - $106.5 billion, Great Britain - $82.5 billion, France - $77 billion, Italy - $58.7 billion. These countries are steadily attracting tourist flows year after year.
Competition is also fierce in Asia. Japan ($54.7 billion), Thailand ($42.7 billion), and China ($39.7 billion) stand out as countries with high tourism revenues. That is, not the formula "as long as there are many tourists" - the question "how much does a tourist spend?" is also of decisive importance.
At this point, the US example is very clear: the influx of visitors is large, and the average cost per guest is also high. In some countries, the picture is different: in areas like the Maldives or Jamaica, total revenues (absolute sum) may be relatively small, but tourism makes up a very large share of their gross domestic product (GDP). That is, the economy is in the format "when a tourist senses - immediately senses."
Europe's stable superiority is no coincidence. Such factors as a rich historical and cultural heritage, high-speed transport networks, and proximity to large markets will work here. The fact that Spain surpasses France in some areas shows how vast its opportunities are: from world-class beaches and islands to ancient cities, gastronomy, museums, and monuments. Most importantly, this diversity allows Spain to attract tourists from different parts of the world in different seasons. As a result, in 2024, Spain became the most visited country in the European Union.
In Uzbekistan, tourism is also growing "running," not "stepping." It was noted that during 2025, more than 11.7 million foreign tourists visited the country - a significant increase compared to the previous year. It was reported that 10.7 million tourists visited in January-November, which is considered one of the highest figures in the country's history.
More than half of the visitors came mainly from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, as well as from Russia. In the first 9 months of 2025, the number of tourists grew faster than in 2024, and this rate is noted as one of the highest in the region. Moreover, Uzbekistan was also noted in UN Tourism as one of the fastest-growing destinations in the world in terms of tourist flow in 2025.
There are clear reasons behind this growth: the expansion of the visa-free and electronic visa regime, the development of international flights and transport infrastructure, attention to new routes and the quality of services - all this serves one goal: to turn Uzbekistan into a more convenient and understandable destination for tourists.
The biggest signal is in future plans: within the framework of the Uzbekistan-2030 strategy, goals have been set to attract 15 million tourists and export tourism services worth 5 billion dollars. So, the current numbers are not the final, but the start. There is great competition in tourism, but Uzbekistan's rapid pace shows that the right path has been chosen, and now it needs to be continued continuously.
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