International tourism, number of arrivals in South Asia
South Asia: International tourism, number of arrivals was 27.10 million in 2019. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, number of arrivals in South Asia, 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 South Asia is 27.10 million, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 221.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, number of arrivals in South Asia peaked at 27.10 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 3.94 million, in 1995.
That places South Asia 40th out of 46 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, number of arrivals in South Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3.94 million | — |
| 1996 | 4.07 million | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 4.31 million | +6.0% |
| 1998 | 4.45 million | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 4.71 million | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 5.03 million | +6.9% |
| 2001 | 4.69 million | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 4.53 million | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 5.21 million | +15.1% |
| 2004 | 6.37 million | +22.3% |
| 2005 | 6.70 million | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 7.60 million | +13.5% |
| 2007 | 8.43 million | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 8.73 million | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 8.42 million | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 9.48 million | +12.6% |
| 2011 | 10.85 million | +14.5% |
| 2012 | 11.24 million | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 12.15 million | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 19.66 million | +61.8% |
| 2015 | 20.00 million | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 22.13 million | +10.6% |
| 2017 | 23.79 million | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 26.71 million | +12.3% |
| 2019 | 27.10 million | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.30 million | 3.94 million | 4.71 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 6.57 million | 4.53 million | 8.73 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.31 million | 9.48 million | 27.10 million | 10 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More private sector data for South Asia
- Merchandise trade 30.0% (2025)
- Food imports 5.6% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 47.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 864.53 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 67.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 510.58 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 301.72 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1115 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, number of arrivals in South Asia?
- International tourism, number of arrivals in South Asia was 27.10 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 27.10 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest international tourism, number of arrivals recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.94 million in 1995.
- How does South Asia rank for international tourism, number of arrivals?
- South Asia ranks 40th out of 46 groups with data for 2019.
- Is international tourism, number of arrivals rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 221.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia 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.