International tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: International tourism, number of arrivals was 39.83 million in 2019. ▲ Rising
International tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
The most recent figure for international tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern is 39.83 million, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 53.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 41.19 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 11.58 million, in 1995.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 38th out of 46 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
International tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 11.58 million | — |
| 1996 | 13.09 million | +13.0% |
| 1997 | 13.46 million | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 14.40 million | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 15.31 million | +6.3% |
| 2000 | 15.35 million | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 15.85 million | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 17.38 million | +9.6% |
| 2003 | 17.84 million | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 18.75 million | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 19.92 million | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 22.65 million | +13.7% |
| 2007 | 25.11 million | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 25.41 million | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 25.96 million | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 29.07 million | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 31.65 million | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 32.75 million | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 34.43 million | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 35.74 million | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 35.32 million | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 37.65 million | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 38.26 million | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 41.19 million | +7.7% |
| 2019 | 39.83 million | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.57 million | 11.58 million | 15.31 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 20.42 million | 15.35 million | 25.96 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.59 million | 29.07 million | 41.19 million | 10 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More private sector data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Merchandise trade 45.4% (2025)
- Food imports 10.9% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 60.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 337.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.5% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 26.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 282.56 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 358.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.208 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Africa Eastern and Southern was 39.83 million in 2019, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 41.19 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.58 million in 1995.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 38th out of 46 groups with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as part of International tourism, number of arrivals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.