UN Tourism’s best performers in the first half of 2026, and what that list does not mean

Which destinations did UN Tourism name among its best performers?

UN Tourism updates its World Tourism Barometer several times a year. The September 2026 issue covers the first half of the year, January to June. Worldwide, an estimated 690 million tourists travelled internationally in that period, 0.4% more than in the same period of 2025.^1,4

It says that some of the best-performing destinations reporting data for the first half of 2026 include El Salvador (+37%), Paraguay (+34%), Bhutan (+31%), Vanuatu (+30%), Palau (+29%), Mongolia (+27%) and the Republic of Korea (+21%).¹ The percentages are the change in international tourist arrivals compared with the same months of 2025.²

In the same issue, UN Tourism reports that Uzbekistan and the Republic of Moldova, both of which it lists under Europe, grew 25% each, and Greece and Ireland 15% each.¹

UN Tourism’s full list of 20 best-performing destinations is a chart in the PowerPoint version of the Barometer, based on destinations reporting data for at least January to May 2026.² UN Tourism allows the Barometer to be quoted with the source given, so we quote its text and link to it rather than reproducing its charts or tables.

The list moves quickly. For the first three months of 2026, UN Tourism’s best performers included Paraguay at +46%.³ Over the full half-year, Paraguay’s figure was +34%.¹

Why growth is not the same as a recommendation

Three reasons.

These are percentages, not people. A large rise can sit on a small or recovering base. UN Tourism notes that New Caledonia recorded a 41% increase in the first half of 2026, yet its arrivals remain about 40% below pre-pandemic (2019) levels.² Europe as a whole received almost 350 million international tourists in the same six months, a 3% increase.¹

Growth has causes outside the destination. UN Tourism links some of the half-year’s changes to events rather than to the places themselves: some Southern Mediterranean destinations benefited from travel redirected from the Middle East, some Indian Ocean islands were hit by reduced air capacity from Middle Eastern carriers, a heatwave affected some destinations in Western Europe in June, and typhoon Sinlaku affected some destinations in Oceania.¹

Growth means more visitors, not fewer. A rising arrivals figure means more people arrived than a year earlier. If you are reading this to avoid crowds, read the list as places where arrivals rose, and remember that you would be one of them.

Where arrivals rose and fell, region by region

All figures in this section compare January to June 2026 with the same months of 2025, and the 2026 figures are provisional.¹

Africa grew 4%, which UN Tourism describes as the strongest growth among world regions. Sub-Saharan Africa grew 6% and North Africa 3%; South Africa grew 12% and Morocco 6%.¹

Europe grew 3%. Southern Mediterranean Europe and Central Eastern Europe each grew 4%, and UN Tourism says Central Eastern Europe reached pre-pandemic levels. Northern Europe grew 3% and Western Europe fell 1%.¹

The Americas grew 2%. Central America grew 15%, led by El Salvador; the Caribbean was flat (0%) and South America fell 2%, even as Paraguay grew 34%.¹

Asia and the Pacific grew 1% but remained 11% below 2019 levels, which UN Tourism links to disrupted air connectivity, higher airfares and uncertainty. North-East Asia grew 3%, led by the Republic of Korea (+21%), while South Asia fell 5% and South-East Asia 1%. Oceania grew 4% despite a 6% drop in June.¹

The Middle East fell 22%, which UN Tourism attributes directly to the conflict in the region; air traffic disruptions eased gradually, especially after the ceasefire in May and early June.¹ We report these figures because they are published. They are not safety advice: for that, use your own government’s travel advice.

What these figures do not cover

Prices. The Barometer figures on this page are about arrivals. They say nothing about what a stay costs in any of these places, and we have not added prices from other sources.

Certainty. The first-half figures are provisional, and UN Tourism states that it does not guarantee the accuracy of the data, which it compiles from official country sources.¹

Places that had not reported. The ranking covers only destinations reporting data for at least January to May 2026.² A place missing from it may simply not have reported in time.

What this page is, and what it is not

This is desk research. It is built from UN Tourism’s published figures, read at source, and we have not been to any of these places.

A statistics release can tell you where arrivals rose. It cannot tell you what a place is like, whether the bus runs, or whether you will enjoy it. Treat this as a shortlist to investigate, not a set of recommendations. Anything on this site written after actually going will say so.