International tourism began 2026 with mixed signals. Although the sector maintained moderate expansion in the first quarter, geopolitical uncertainty, rising transport costs, and tensions in the Middle East began to weigh on global prospects. Against this backdrop, Paraguay stood out as the country with the highest growth in international tourist arrivals in the world.
According to the latest World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, the country recorded a 46% increase in arrivals in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period the previous year. The result placed Paraguay ahead of destinations such as New Zealand (45%), El Salvador (43%), Mongolia (39%), Palau (37%), and Uzbekistan (37%).
The performance gains relevance when compared with the rest of South America, which as a bloc recorded a 1% drop in international arrivals during the period. While the subcontinent shrank, the Americas grew 2% overall, driven mainly by Central America, which expanded 18%.
In comparison with major Latin American destinations, Mexico received 26.2 million international visitors in the first quarter, the Dominican Republic surpassed 3.7 million, and Argentina exceeded 3.5 million through April. Although Paraguay is still far from those volumes in absolute terms, its percentage growth was considerably higher.
At the global level, international arrivals grew 2% between January and March, reaching 307 million travelers, equivalent to six million more than in the same period of 2025. However, UN Tourism warned that growth lost momentum in March, when global expansion slowed to just 0.4%, reflecting the effects of the conflict in the Middle East on air transport, oil prices, and consumer and business confidence.
From an economic standpoint, the result is significant because tourism constitutes an important source of foreign exchange generation, employment, and investment. UN Tourism points out that the growth observed in several Latin American countries responds to factors such as greater air connectivity, recovery of international routes, strengthening of tourism promotion, and development of products linked to nature, culture, and outdoor experiences.
The main challenge, according to the organization, is converting the strong growth in arrivals into a sustained increase in tourism revenue. International experience shows that the economic impact of the sector depends not only on the number of visitors but also on average spending, length of stays, and the ability to generate linkages with other economic activities.
In a year when UN Tourism forecasts that global growth could come in one to two percentage points below initial estimates due to international uncertainty, Paraguay emerges as one of the main exceptions. Leading the ranking in the first quarter of 2026 positions the country as the world's fastest-growing tourism destination and highlights the potential of an activity that could take on a more prominent role in the Paraguayan economy in the coming years, especially if significant investments are made in improving the country's infrastructure.