International tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: International tourism, number of arrivals was 201.86 million in 2019. ▲ Rising
International tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean, 1995–2019
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
Analysis
In 2019, international tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 201.86 million.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 202.72 million in 2017 and was at its lowest, 140.09 million, in 1995.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 21st of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
International tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 140.09 million | — |
| 1996 | 144.21 million | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 147.78 million | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 152.44 million | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 154.42 million | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 161.34 million | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 155.63 million | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 152.95 million | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 148.08 million | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 161.11 million | +8.8% |
| 2005 | 167.84 million | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 165.38 million | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 164.05 million | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 165.01 million | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 158.42 million | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 157.34 million | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 155.23 million | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 159.17 million | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 162.60 million | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 171.23 million | +5.3% |
| 2015 | 182.04 million | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 193.56 million | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 202.72 million | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 201.52 million | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 201.86 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 147.79 million | 140.09 million | 154.42 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 159.98 million | 148.08 million | 167.84 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 178.73 million | 155.23 million | 202.72 million | 10 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 18 Austria 15.09 million compare
- 19 Egypt 13.03 million compare
- 20 Germany 12.45 million compare
- 21 Switzerland 11.82 million compare
- 22 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 11.10 million compare
- 23 Ireland 10.95 million compare
- 24 United States Virgin Islands 8.61 million compare
More private sector data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Merchandise trade 44.2% (2025)
- Food imports 9.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.66 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 24.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 46.5% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 1.67 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,503 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2256 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in Latin America & Caribbean was 201.86 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 202.72 million in 2017.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 140.09 million in 1995.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 21st out of 46 groups with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.
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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.