If it seems to you that the entire world has returned to traveling after the pandemic, new data shows that the picture is much more complex. Some countries have become new tourism powerhouses, while others are still struggling to bring back visitors. Israel, unfortunately, is at the wrong end of the list.
New OECD data published by Visual Capitalist, a publication specializing in making data and information accessible through infographics, ranks the change in international tourist numbers between 2019 and 2025 across 53 countries. While some destinations broke new records, others remain very far from pre-pandemic tourism volumes.
Saudi Arabia at the top thanks to massive investments
The big winner is Saudi Arabia, which recorded a 67% surge in tourist numbers compared to 2019, the highest figure among all surveyed countries. It is followed by Morocco with a 53% increase, Egypt with 47%, Brazil with 46%, and Colombia with 45%.
Japan also recovered impressively with a 34% rise, alongside Norway (28%), Serbia (27%), Denmark (22%), Turkey (21%), and Portugal (20%).
According to the report, Saudi Arabia's success is the result of its Vision 2030 plan, which includes easing visa issuance, expanding airline routes, and massive investments in cultural, entertainment, and tourism sites.
Europe recovered, but not everywhere
Most European destinations have already returned to pre-pandemic tourism levels and even exceeded them, albeit at a more moderate pace than that recorded in the Middle East and North Africa.
Spain recorded a 16% increase, France 12%, while Greece, the Netherlands, and Sweden each rose by 11%. Conversely, Germany remains 6% below 2019 levels, Italy is 5% lower, and Ireland recorded a significant drop of 32%.
Israel at the bottom of the list
While many countries are celebrating a recovery, Israel recorded the worst performance of all surveyed countries. The number of international tourists entering the country in 2025 was 71% lower than in 2019, the peak year for tourism, marking the sharpest decline in the ranking.
According to the report, the primary reason for this is the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, which severely impacted incoming tourism and drove many visitors away from the country.
The US has also not fully recovered, recording a 14% drop, while Canada fell by 11%. In the Asia-Pacific region, relatively slow recoveries were recorded in Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia, among others.