New Destinations Global Travel & Tourism Leaders 2025

Travel is changing, and the industry is adapting to satisfy a generation seeking authenticity and quality experiences in new destinations.

- Adil Ali

Globally, tourism is back above pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 wiped out 1.1 billion trips in 2020, so the turnaround is remarkable. Europe has bounced back, with Southeast Asia and Africa a little slower to recover. In the USA, President Donald Trump’s January return has cooled demand. The World Travel & Tourism Council expects foreign visitor spending to fall 7 percent this year; visits from Canada are projected to plummet by about 20 percent. If the pandemic was an earthquake in travel, the industry is praying this will prove to be only a minor tremor.

To take the temperature in travel and gauge where the momentum is headed, we interviewed 71 top executives from around the world. Their verdict is clear: travel is booming once again, but the landscape has changed forever. We examine the rise of low-cost flights, online travel agents, and the return of business travel. As we share these leaders' insights within this special report, buckle up and enjoy the ride! Selling holidays to the USA right now is challenging. Fred Dixon, CEO of Brand USA, is navigating the headwinds that are buffeting US tourism: international visitor spending is expected to decline by around $12.5 billion this year, and some forecasts are even bleaker.

Arrivals from Canada - the biggest market - are down by as much as 20%. So is there any reason to be optimistic? Well, yes. Next year will be dominated by major events, in particular the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, and the FIFA World Cup in North America. Dixon sees “exciting levers to pull as we welcome the world.” He’s confident visitor numbers will recover in 2026 and “the best is yet to come!” he promises.