Fitch Solutions names key factors in tourism promotion in 2025

Tourism destinations around the world will shift from recovery to growth in 2025, with total international arrivals forecast to increase by 12.4% compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to Fitch Solutions, reads a report by Fitch Ratings' subsidiary - Fitch Solutions, Report informs.

Fitch Solutions believes that the digitalization of visa procedures and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions will be important factors in promoting tourism as markets look beyond pre-pandemic recovery.

These technologies will help increase arrivals in both the short and long term. Simplifying the visa application process will make travel more accessible, attracting tourists from both traditional and new key markets.

As noted by Fitch Solutions, e-visas have already proven their effectiveness by expediting application processing, reducing visa issuance times and queues, and increasing the length of travelers' stay.

In 2025, a greater adoption of AI in visa application and processing systems is expected to further improve efficiency and create opportunities that will support arrival growth in 2025 and the medium term.

AI will reduce visa refusals, while data availability will accelerate marketing campaigns and strengthen tourism promotion strategies. These technologies will also improve security by detecting fraud, the report says.

The year 2024 saw the rapid adoption and development of e-visa schemes around the world. This has reduced queues and simplified the application process, which has become especially important as markets seek to recover and increase international arrivals post-pandemic.

Visa digitalization and AI solutions are thus becoming an integral part of the global tourism strategy, contributing to the sustainable growth of the sector.