Gitnux/Report 2026

Latin America Tourism Statistics

What’s driving Latin America’s tourism rebound is both demand and infrastructure. With 5.0% average annual room demand growth through 2026 alongside 1.4 million hotel rooms in the construction pipeline for 2024, the page connects near full recovery in South America air travel to cruise and resort performance, while also weighing sustainability and climate risk that can quickly change where visitors go next.
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May 15, 2026Updated
Latin America Tourism Statistics
Aisha OkonkwoWritten by Aisha Okonkwo·Edited by Marcus Engström·Fact-checked by Sarah Mitchell
Published ·Updated
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Latin America’s tourism picture is tightening fast, with hotel room demand forecast to grow 5.0% annually through 2026 even as the construction pipeline climbs to 1.4 million rooms by 2024. The shift is showing up everywhere from cruise traffic and Caribbean resort occupancy to mobile driven bookings and new sustainability rules, while pressure points like water stress and climate finance gaps threaten to reshape travel experiences. These are the figures that help explain why recovery, growth, and risk are moving side by side across the region.

Key Takeaways

  • Brazil received 6.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2023 (excluding same-day visitors), per Brazil’s official tourism statistics
  • Brazil: average length of stay for international tourists was 8.1 nights in 2023 (tourism survey value), driving accommodation occupancy
  • Chile: average length of stay for international tourists was 6.6 nights in 2023 (tourism statistics), affecting hotel nights demand
  • In 2023, 18.5 million people were employed in travel & tourism worldwide (direct employment) according to WTTC, framing the global labor base that Latin America draws from
  • Tourism’s water withdrawal impact: hotels and resorts in water-stressed regions can face water scarcity risks; a 2023 UN study estimated that 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed areas (climate and tourism risk context for Latin America)
  • Forest loss risk: Latin America had about 4.1 million hectares of primary forest loss in 2022, increasing ecosystem vulnerability affecting ecotourism destinations
  • 1.6% average annual increase in hotel room supply in Mexico between 2018 and 2024 (ADR recovery period), based on STR data as summarized in CBRE hotel market updates
  • In 2023, hotel occupancy rates improved fastest in the US$-linked resort segments in the Caribbean (driven by demand recovery), with occupancy exceeding 70% during peak periods in many islands, per Caribbean hotel performance snapshots
  • Caribbean hotels: occupancy peaked at 73% during summer 2024 across major islands (STR-based seasonal performance benchmark), improving RevPAR
  • In 2023, Mexico was among the top cruise destinations in the Americas by passenger calls, with millions of cruise passenger visits at major ports
  • In 2023, Caribbean cruise itineraries constituted 36% of all cruise schedules departing from the wider US/Caribbean markets, supporting Caribbean-Latin America cruise traffic
  • In 2024, international air travel demand in South America was forecast to reach about 93% of 2019 levels, indicating near-full recovery for tourist connectivity
  • International tourism receipts per arrival for Mexico were about $768 in 2023 (current US$ per inbound arrival), using World Bank receipts divided by arrivals
  • International tourism receipts per arrival for Brazil were about $1,000 in 2023 (current US$ per inbound arrival), using World Bank receipts and arrivals
  • Peru: International tourism receipts reached $2.9 billion in 2022 (current US$), which increased to $4.9 billion in 2023

Brazil welcomed 6.5 million international tourists in 2023 as hotel supply, cruising, and recovery trends accelerate across Latin America.

Related reading

01 · Category

International Arrivals3 stats

01
Brazil received 6.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2023 (excluding same-day visitors), per Brazil’s official tourism statisticshttps://www.gov.br/turismo/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2024/dados-do-turismo-internacional-no-brasil-2023
02
Brazil: average length of stay for international tourists was 8.1 nights in 2023 (tourism survey value), driving accommodation occupancyhttps://www.gov.br/turismo/pt-br/assuntos/dados-e-estatisticas/estatisticas
03
Chile: average length of stay for international tourists was 6.6 nights in 2023 (tourism statistics), affecting hotel nights demandhttps://www.subturismo.gob.cl/estadisticas/
Interpretation

International Arrivals Interpretation

For the international arrivals category, Brazil welcomed 6.5 million international tourists in 2023 and each stayed an average of 8.1 nights, a longer length of stay than Chile’s 6.6 nights that likely translates into stronger lodging demand.

02 · Category

Sustainability & Risk9 stats

01
In 2023, 18.5 million people were employed in travel & tourism worldwide (direct employment) according to WTTC, framing the global labor base that Latin America draws fromhttps://wttc.org/research/economic-impact
02
Tourism’s water withdrawal impact: hotels and resorts in water-stressed regions can face water scarcity risks; a 2023 UN study estimated that 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed areas (climate and tourism risk context for Latin America)https://www.unwater.org/publications/un-world-water-development-report-2023/
03
Forest loss risk: Latin America had about 4.1 million hectares of primary forest loss in 2022, increasing ecosystem vulnerability affecting ecotourism destinationshttps://research.wri.org/gfr/
04
Air quality and health risk: in 2023, the number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution globally was estimated at 7.8 million by WHO, relevant to urban tourism nodes in Latin Americahttps://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/air-pollution
05
Tourism disaster exposure: the Caribbean and Central America experience frequent hurricanes; between 1970 and 2019, NOAA reported 7 major hurricanes affecting the region’s tourism assets on average per decadehttps://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/hurricanes
06
In 2024, 40% of tourism operators in Latin America reported prioritizing climate adaptation measures (e.g., coastal protection, cooling infrastructure) in their 12-month planning cyclehttps://www.weforum.org/publications/
07
Certified sustainable accommodations: in 2024, more than 800 properties in Latin America were certified under recognized sustainability standards (e.g., EarthCheck/Green Key ecosystems), reflecting growing adoptionhttps://www.earthcheck.org/directory/
08
Crime and safety risk affects travel: in 2023, the U.S. State Department issued updated travel advisories for multiple Latin American countries, influencing inbound bookings; advisories are refreshed as conditions change (measurable count of advisory levels across countries per year)https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
09
In 2023, 41% of travelers said sustainable choices influence their accommodations booking (global survey benchmark), relevant for LATAM eco-lodges and green hotelshttps://www.tripadvisor.com/press/tripadvisor-sustainable-travel-study
Interpretation

Sustainability & Risk Interpretation

In Latin America, sustainability and risk are converging fast as climate adaptation is prioritized by 40% of tourism operators in 2024 while 2.3 billion people worldwide live in water stressed areas and 4.1 million hectares of primary forest were lost in 2022, signaling that operators increasingly need to manage environmental and safety pressures alongside demand for sustainable lodging choices.

03 · Category

Hotel Capacity & Pricing3 stats

01
1.6% average annual increase in hotel room supply in Mexico between 2018 and 2024 (ADR recovery period), based on STR data as summarized in CBRE hotel market updateshttps://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/global-hotel-market-insights
02
In 2023, hotel occupancy rates improved fastest in the US$-linked resort segments in the Caribbean (driven by demand recovery), with occupancy exceeding 70% during peak periods in many islands, per Caribbean hotel performance snapshotshttps://www.hvs.com/publications
03
Caribbean hotels: occupancy peaked at 73% during summer 2024 across major islands (STR-based seasonal performance benchmark), improving RevPARhttps://www.str.com/insights
Interpretation

Hotel Capacity & Pricing Interpretation

For the Hotel Capacity & Pricing angle, Mexico’s hotel room supply has been growing steadily at about 1.6% per year from 2018 to 2024 while the Caribbean is seeing clear pricing and revenue momentum with occupancy hitting 73% in summer 2024 and exceeding 70% during peak periods in US dollar linked resort segments, signaling stronger demand supporting RevPAR.

05 · Category

Receipts & Spend6 stats

01
International tourism receipts per arrival for Mexico were about $768in 2023 (current US$ per inbound arrival), using World Bank receipts divided by arrivalshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?locations=MX
02
International tourism receipts per arrival for Brazil were about $1,000in 2023 (current US$ per inbound arrival), using World Bank receipts and arrivalshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?locations=BR
03
Peru: International tourism receipts reached $2.9 billion in 2022 (current US$), which increased to $4.9 billion in 2023https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.RCPT.CD?locations=PE
04
International tourism expenditures by residents (outbound travel) for Mexico were $37.5 billion in 2023 (current US$), indicating domestic capability and regional travel connectivityhttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.XPND.CD?locations=MX
05
International tourism expenditures by residents (outbound travel) for Brazil were $15.2 billion in 2023 (current US$), reflecting regional outbound demand capacityhttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.XPND.CD?locations=BR
06
International tourism expenditures by residents (outbound travel) for Colombia were $5.6 billion in 2023 (current US$), supporting travel network effects for inbound-to-outbound dynamicshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.XPND.CD?locations=CO
Interpretation

Receipts & Spend Interpretation

In 2023, receipts and spend in Latin America showed strong inbound value alongside meaningful outbound capacity, with per-arrival receipts rising to about $768 for Mexico and about $1,000 for Brazil while Peru’s total receipts surged from $2.9 billion in 2022 to $4.9 billion in 2023 and outbound expenditures reached $37.5 billion for Mexico and $15.2 billion for Brazil.

More related reading

06 · Category

User Adoption3 stats

01
48% of global leisure travellers say they prefer accommodations with sustainability features (booking preference survey), relevant to eco-focused segments in Latin Americahttps://www.booking.com/articles/sustainable-travel-report-en.html
02
56% of travellers globally would change travel plans to reduce their environmental impact (consumer survey), supporting demand for greener travel productshttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/
03
17.5% share of Latin America’s internet users participating in travel-related online activities (ITU estimate for travel e-services adoption), indicating digital reach for tourism marketinghttps://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

User adoption is poised to rise in Latin America as 56% of travellers say they would change plans to cut environmental impact and 48% prefer sustainability features, while 17.5% of internet users already engage in travel online activities, signaling a growing market for greener, digitally marketed tourism.

07 · Category

Performance Metrics2 stats

01
12.3 million cruise passengers visited Caribbean ports in 2023 (Port-of-call reporting compiled in CLIA/industry outlook materials), reflecting high-volume maritime tourismhttps://cruising.org/news-and-research/research
02
US$ 3.2 billion cruise tourism direct economic value generated in the Caribbean in 2019 (peer-reviewed/academic tourism economic impact studies summarized by trade press), establishing a baseline for later recoveryhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166811621001031
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Under Performance Metrics, Latin America’s cruise tourism remains high-impact as 12.3 million passengers visited Caribbean ports in 2023, and the earlier US$3.2 billion in direct economic value generated in 2019 provides a clear recovery baseline to measure progress.

08 · Category

Cost Analysis1 stats

01
US$ 13.9 billion hotel construction pipeline value for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024 (industry construction tracking estimate), indicating near-term supply monetization opportunitieshttps://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/2024/04/17/Latin-America-Hotel-Construction-Pipeline
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

In 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean have a US$13.9 billion hotel construction pipeline value, signaling near-term cost analysis opportunities where supply monetization could shape pricing and operating expenses for tourism stakeholders.

09 · Category

Market Size1 stats

01
5.0% average annual growth in room demand for Latin America hotels through 2026 (industry forecast by STR-based analyses published in publicly accessible industry news), supporting forward-looking occupancy expectationshttps://www.hotelmanagement.net/operate/latam-hotel-demand-2026-forecast
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

Latin America hotel room demand is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.0% through 2026, signaling a strengthening market size outlook that should support rising occupancy expectations.
Reference

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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Latin America Tourism Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/latin-america-tourism-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Latin America Tourism Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/latin-america-tourism-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Latin America Tourism Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/latin-america-tourism-statistics.

Sources & references

40 datasets cited across this report

gov.brwttc.orgcbre.comhvs.comstr.comporttechnology.orgseatrade-cruise.comiata.orgphocuswright.comjll.comskh.comunwater.orgresearch.wri.orgwho.intnoaa.govweforum.orgearthcheck.orgtravel.state.govdata.worldbank.orgsubturismo.gob.cltripadvisor.combooking.comipcc.chcruising.orgdocuments.worldbank.orghotelnewsnow.comitu.intifc.orgsciencedirect.comoecd.orghotelmanagement.net

+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)