Sunday, July 20, 2025
In the buzzing heart of Cancún, on the colonial streets of Oaxaca, and along the coral-ringed beaches of Cozumel, the beat of travel is booming like never before. Through May 2025, Mexico has ridden a wave of popularity to become the Western Hemisphere’s tourist darling, receiving a record 39.4 million international visitors in the first five months of the year. But Mexico is not alone. They range from the sandy beaches of Jamaica to the tropical rain forests of Brazil, and from the cultural hubs of Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the United States With that, the Americas are enjoying a robust resurgence in world tourism.
That boom is more than post-pandemic recovery — it’s a bold leap forward. Governments in the region are cashing in thanks to good planning, improved connectivity and an increasing traveller appetite for diversity, culture and authenticity.

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The Americas Rebound: A Continent’s Surge
Strong Growth in the Americas, January-May 2025 The Americas has experienced significant growth, with enhanced air travel connectivity, relaxed visa requirements and increased marketing contributing to an increase in tourism from January to May 2025. For January to April, there were 39.4 million international arrivals (up 14.2% compared to the same time last year) in Mexico. It is a number that exceeds those of some countries around the world, including some in Europe and Asia.

And just next to the surge, in Jamaica, the Ministry of Tourism recently reported more than 2 million stopover visitors in the same period—a figure that comes with substantial increases in U.S., Canadian and U.K. travelers. The tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, trumpeted it as the “strongest early-year growth on record,” adding that the island’s focus on cultural events, health and wellness tourism and community-based tourism was producing results.
In the Dominican Republic, the numbers are even more stark, as 4.985 million international travelers arrived in the country between January and May — a record pace to crack 10 million for the full year. And Colombia received some 2.3 million visitors, buoyed by growth in eco-tourism and interest in lesser traveled destinations like the Amazon basin and coastal cities like Santa Marta.
And in Brazil, the iconic cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador see the reinstatement of their own large events and festivals. The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism forecasts 6.5 million international visitors in 2025, and the first half of this year is already topping-prélulaez 2019.
The United States, for its part, remains on a path toward recovery after decades as the hemisphere’s largest target of incoming traffic. Inbound travel to the U.S. from South America and the Caribbean is up over 8 percent year over year, and domestic tourism is now at record highs.
Mexico Sets the Pace With Depth and Diversity
While many around the world are riding the tourism wave, Mexico’s size and diversity make it unique. Its performance in 2025 demonstrates strength in all segments — air travel, cruise tourism and day visitors. May alone received 7.9 million arrivals, almost 3.75 million of whom were overnight visitors. These guests aren’t just passing through — they’re spending. Mexico’s air travelers spend an average of US $1,300.50, nearly 7% more than in 2024.
What makes Mexico unique is not just the turnstile numbers, but also what the visitors experience. Tourists can check into high-end beach resorts on the Riviera Maya, climb the side of an active volcano in Colima, visit a city filled with UNESCO World Heritage Sites in San Miguel de Allende or sip mezcal in Oaxaca. It’s that the variety is unparalleled, and travelers are responding with longer stays and deeper engagement.
Also impressive is that cruise tourism brought 5 million passengers through Mexico’s main ports like Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, leading to a 12% year over year revenue boost and a whopping 48% jump over 2019.
Caribbean Tourism Finds Its Strength
Caribbean nations are seeing a resurgence even as Mexico powers continental numbers. These island nations–which rely heavily on tourism for GDP and jobs–have smartly diversified their product.
Jamaica has been investing in wellness retreats, heritage tourism (such as in Port Royal), and music festivals to appeal to the younger, experience-driven traveler. Arrivals of cruise ship passengers have also bounced back, particularly in Montego Bay and Falmouth.
The Bahamas, too, notwithstanding its smaller population, has experienced strong growth in both air and cruise passengers, and a significant increase in visitor spending in Nassau and the Out Islands.
Canadian visitors rose 10% in the first part of 2025 in Barbados as flight routes were extended and tourism incentives were offered. St. Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda have also posted strong double-digit growth, helped by partnerships with U.S. airlines and all-inclusive resorts.
North and South: The Whole Hemisphere on the Move
Although much of the focus to date has been Latin America and the Caribbean, the role of the United States and Canada remains crucial. Canada’s outbound tourism to Mexico and the Caribbean is up over 13% from 2025, and domestic travel is booming, particularly in British Columbia and Quebec.
Argentina and Chile are also celebrants, part of the tourism comeback that favors adventure tourism and glacier exploration and wine-region explorations. And those nations are attracting well-heeled travelers, especially from Europe and North America.
The political instability that Peru has faced in recent years has not prevented overall arrivals from surging, particularly cultural and eco visitors attracted to destinations like Machu Picchu and the Amazon basin.
Economic Gains and Cultural Capital
Tourism is not only about numbers — it’s about livelihoods. Tourism represents more than 8.5 percent of Mexico’s GDP and provides 4 million jobs. And in Jamaica, the share is even higher, again, with tourism accounting for nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product and more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs. Similar dynamics are playing out elsewhere in the Caribbean and Central America, where one in four jobs in some countries is related to tourism.
Governments across the Americas are leveraging tourism not only as a revenue source, but as a nation branding tool. The campaigns stress indigenous heritage, gastronomy, sustainability and local innovation. Programs like Mexico’s “Pueblos Mágicos,” Jamaica’s “Rediscover Home” and Colombia’s “Feel the Rhythm” hope to make tourism a more human experience, creating deeper connections between travelers and locals.
In the end: Shared wealth under our shared heavens
And as travelers from around the globe rediscover the charms of the Americas — from the cenotes of Mexico to the rain forests of Costa Rica; from the reggae rhythms of Jamaica to the colorful plazas of Colombia — an undeniable trend is taking shape: tourism with purpose is back. No longer are the Americas just destinations for sun-worshippers in search of sand and oceans, but cultural and ecological giants.
For the millions of families and workers who depend on tourism, this recovery offers hope and dignity. And for visitors, it provides the send of discivery. And for governments, it validates that sustainable, inclusive tourism isn’t just something possible but rather something that already is flourishing.
References:
Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) Mexico, Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Dominican Republic Central Bank Tourism Statistics, Brazilian Ministry of Tourism 2025 Report, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Report.

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Tags: Americas, Americas tourism recovery, argentina, brazil, Buenos Aires, Canada, Cancún, caribbean, Caribbean visitor growth 2025, Cartagena, colombia, Colombia visitor statistics, Costa Rica, Cozumel, Cozumel cruise tourism, Dominican Republic, jamaica, Jamaica travel boom, latin america, Lima, mexico, Mexico City, Mexico tourism 2025, montego bay, north america, Oaxaca, Peru, Rio de Janeiro, San José, south america, Toronto, United States

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