OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026

Check out the policy highlights

Japan’s tourism boom shows no sign of slowing. In 2025, the country set a new record welcoming more than 40 million international visitors for the first time, and has already seen further year on year growth in early 2026. While Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka remain the best-known destinations, other cities are working to put their place on the map. Among them is our city of Sendai, which is seeking to grow its international profile while making sure tourism also helps to strengthen the city’s resilience and delivers lasting benefits for local people.

Global tourism revenues reached a record USD 2.2 trillion in 2025. Brazil was one of the main beneficiaries, with international arrivals surging 37% higher than the previous year. Brazil’s tourism boom is not an accident. Over the past decade, the country has been building the foundations for a more purposeful model, one that combines economic dynamism with environmental responsibility. Federal and state policies have progressively incorporated sustainability standards, biodiversity commitments, and climate targets into tourism governance. Across Brazil, destinations are increasingly asking not only how many visitors they attract, but what lasting legacy tourism leaves. But success comes in many forms, and Brazil is now striving to use tourism to restore ecosystems, strengthen communities and generate positive impact in the territories where it operates. What can other countries learn from its approach?

Tourism is on the rise, driven by a growing desire to explore all the world has to offer. Tourists want to see more, do more and move on quickly. For many destinations, that brings welcome income, but it also creates pressure. Rapid growth in visitor numbers can strain local infrastructure, add to environmental pressures and erode the authenticity of destinations. To manage visitor flows, plan sustainably, and respond effectively to emerging challenges, decisionmakers need more timely and accurate tourism data. Slovenia is showing what this can look like in practice.

Tourism holds extraordinary potential as a catalyst for positive change. As the sector reinvents itself in response to global challenges, there is growing recognition that if driven by data, innovation and collaboration, rather than inertia, fragmentation and short-termism, tourism can strengthen communities, build more resilient economies and support healthier ecosystems. But tourism’s future, and its capacity to bring inclusive prosperity, rests on the ability to measure what matters, anticipate what is coming and act with purpose. A new series of reports from the OECD Tourism Committee – undertaken with the support of the European Commission’s DG Reform – points to this new approach to tourism policy. One where success is judged not only in economic terms, but also the impact on people and places.