Equipo ViaParaguay
Paraguay had the fastest growth in international tourist arrivals in the world in the first quarter of 2026, up 46%, and closed the first half at +34%, third worldwide and second in the Americas. That is what the World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism, the United Nations agency that tracks international tourism, shows.
First quarter: the fastest growth in the world
In the Barometer’s May edition, Paraguay tops the quarter’s best performers at +46%, ahead of New Caledonia (+45%) and El Salvador (+43%). The contrast with regional and global figures is wide: world international arrivals grew 2% over those three months, the Americas also 2%, and South America as a region fell 1%.
First half: +34%, third in the world
The September edition extends the measurement to six months. Paraguay grew 34%, the third-largest increase in the world and the second in the Americas, in a period when the world total rose 0.4%. Over the half it no longer tops the list, but growth stayed far above the global average.
What national records show
Figures from SENATUR, Paraguay’s National Tourism Secretariat, based on immigration data, point the same way: between January and June 2026, 972,835 tourists arrived, versus 728,738 in the same period of 2025, an increase of 33.5%. Of those, 83.28% came overland and Argentina accounted for 76%. These are visitor arrivals, not tourism revenue, and much of the flow is regional.
What it means if you plan to travel
On the country’s air connectivity, there are articles on the elimination of the airline ticket tax and the ALAS agreement for a South American single sky. To plan your trip, the complete Paraguay travel guide gathers destinations and itineraries; if you want to combine the country with its neighbors, there is the route linking Iguazú, the Chaco, the Jesuit missions and the Pantanal, and before leaving it is worth checking the visa and entry requirements.
If you are evaluating a tourism project or a business in Paraguay, you can write to us from the contact page.