.
France, leading in tourism for over 30 years, offers attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Disneyland Paris, drawing 38 million tourists to Paris alone in 2019.
Global travel and tourism, an $8.9 trillion industry in 2019, suffered a loss of $4.5 trillion and 62 million jobs in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Global travel and tourism was an $8.9 trillion (US$) business in 2019. Moreover, though the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced that number to roughly a quarter of its previous value, all signs point to tourism continuing to grow, expand, and evolve. Every country on Earth has something to offer international visitors, from the pyramids in Egypt to the rainforests of Brazil or the sidewalk cafes of Paris—but which countries attract the most visitors of all? Most of the countries with the highest tourism rates are located in Europe, whose rich history, architecture, and cultural influence make it an appealing destination for many travelers. Countries positioned on or near a body of water are also very popular, particularly those that offer a relaxed, low-key atmosphere mixed with beautiful beaches and ocean views.
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=040257bbd66c8725&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1VDKB_enCA1110CA1110&sxsrf=ADLYWIKMd4VneiFuXFumfPJiamh9LtCPEw:1720428742442&q=Most+Visited+Countries+2024&tbm=vid&source=lnms&fbs=AEQNm0DSjjYWCybNh4Y2in02N243-OHmPxREG1BKYr-Kgpdbh-COBiIiY8Fo3IG2RaEyCjej1JUx8BX1u76p09NZAhv-YNiGIgZaBVjE1yk17r1Pes7N9RcUvgmVqNTHO5N_g-kDyYgYdm4Op_EcGu7hted7E2mWk79xdPeBeYAs19hMVEDpflJ2rmVJ8xnZa2uRFEpNko7gAJheNEfaMN8eCXu7CiQQ6A&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjez7fAiJeHAxWhJjQIHf7QABoQ0pQJegQIEBAB&biw=1360&bih=568&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:034dd4e7,vid:v9h5jyxeyRw,st:0
Hover over a country for details.
Most Visited Countries 2024
Snapshot
European countries, often rich in history, culture, beautiful beaches, and ocean views, attract the highest number of tourists
Top 10 Countries Most Popular with Tourists (by number of 2019 visitor arrivals)
France 117.1M
Poland 88.5M
Mexico 51.1M
United States 45M
Thailand 39.9M
Italy 38.4M
Czech Republic 37.2M
Spain 36.4M
Canada 32.4M
Hungary 31.6M
The most popular tourist destination in the world for more than 30 years, France offers a myriad of attractions: the Eiffel tower, countless world-class restaurants, the Musée du Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, the Notre-Dame cathedral, the beaches of the Côte d’Azur, and of course, Disneyland Paris. Moreover, the lushly beautiful countryside is full of storybook villages, mountains, vineyards, and the occasional castle. One can even view prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux. Paris, France’s capital, is the most visited city in Europe, receiving 38 million tourists in 2019.
Spain is another tourist destination overflowing with interesting attractions. Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral and other works in Barcelona, the Guggenheim museum, the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, Europe’s largest aquarium (the lily-shaped L’Oceanogràfic), the beaches of Gran Canaria, and La Rambla in Barcelona. Spain is also home to El Teide, an ancient—but not entirely dormant—volcano, which visitors can hike around at the Parque Nacional del Teide on the Spanish island Tenerife.
England’s capital city, London, attracts visitors with a wide range of sights including Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and the British Museum, which includes the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo. Beyond London, England offers the mysterious Stonehenge, the Beatles’ birthplace in Liverpool, the quaint beauty of the Cotswolds, the sci-fi botanical gardens of the Eden Project, and more. Speaking of more, the UK also includes three additional subdivisions. First is Scotland, with the charming city of Edinburgh, moody Loch Ness and Inverness, the scenic highlands, and the historic St. Andrews golf course. Next comes charming Wales and its castles, scenery, and capital city of Cardiff. Finally, Northern Ireland boasts attractions including Belfast’s bubbling nightlife, the glens and coastline of Antrim, and one of Europe’s most compelling natural wonders: the Giant’s Causeway.
The Mediterranean nation Turkey balances captivating man-made attractions such as Hagia Sophia mosque and Topkapı Palace with archaeological wonders such as the Biblical city of Ephesus, the fairy city of Cappadocia, and the desolate fallen splendor of Mount Nemrut. It also has more than its share of natural wonders, including the famous beaches at Ölüdeniz and Patara, the mineral pools at Pamukkale, and the Mediterranean coastline itself.
The South Asian country of Thailand is also known as the “Land of Smiles”, and offers both modern comforts and wild adventure. Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, receives over 20 million visitors every year. Popular attractions include the Grand Palace in Bangkok; beaches including Railay, Long, and Monkey beach; the ancient city Ayutthaya and ornate Buddhist wat Coi Suthep, and national parks including Khao Yai (where wild elephants roam) and the otherworldly Khao Sok.
The impact of COVID-19 on travel and tourism
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21 had a devastating effect on the travel and tourism industry. According to a report released by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the pandemic cost the industry an estimated US$ 4.5 trillion in 2020, which resulted in the loss of 62 million tourism-dependent jobs. Data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization backs this up. Consider the following table:
International tourist arrivals (in thousands of visitors):
Compared to 2019, tourism dropped by approximately 74% in 2020, with a total of a billion fewer travelers over the course of the year–making 2020 the worst year on record for tourism. The UNTWO’s own estimates registered a loss of US$ 1.3 trillion in lost revenues and 100-120 million jobs either lost or at risk.
The impact has been particularly damaging in countries that rely heavily upon tourism as part of their GDP. Lost tourism in Macau, one of China’s special administrative regions, led to a 79.3% drop in year-on-year gambling revenues, which caused overall GDP for 2020 to fall 43.1% compared to the previous year.
While tourism has picked up slightly in 2021, they still fall far short of the pre-pandemic numbers. Late 2020 projections were hopeful that the industry would be back on track by late 2021, but the ongoing nature of the pandemic has thwarted that optimism. As of late 2021, most estimates do not expect the industry to rebound to 2019 (pre-COVID) levels until sometime in 2023 at the earliest.
Visitor totals are displayed in 1000s. For example, South Africa’s displayed total of 3886.6 equals 3,886,600 visitors.
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Min
Max
Min
Max
Min
Max
France 117.1M 2020 11.74%
Poland 88.5M 2019 8.87%
Mexico 51.1M 2020 5.12%
United States 45M 2020 4.51%
Thailand 39.9M 2019 4%
Italy 38.4M 2020 3.85%
Czech Republic 37.2M 2019 3.73%
Spain 36.4M 2020 3.65%
Canada 32.4M 2019 3.25%
Hungary 31.6M 2020 3.17%
China 30.4M 2020 3.05%
Croatia 21.6M 2020 2.17%
Saudi Arabia 20.3M 2019 2.03%
India 17.9M 2019 1.8%
Turkey 16M 2020 1.6%
Denmark 15.6M 2020 1.56%
Slovakia 15.3M 2018 1.53%
Austria 15.1M 2020 1.51%
Egypt 13M 2019 1.31%
Germany 12.4M 2020 1.25%
Switzerland 11.8M 2019 1.18%
United Kingdom 11.1M 2020 1.11%
Ireland 11M 2019 1.1%
United States Virgin Islands 8.6M 2020 0.86%
Kyrgyzstan 8.5M 2019 0.85%
United Arab Emirates 8.1M 2020 0.81%
Greece 7.4M 2020 0.74%
Argentina 7.3M 2019 0.74%
Netherlands 7.3M 2020 0.73%
Uzbekistan 6.7M 2019 0.68%
Russia 6.4M 2020 0.64%
Brazil 6.4M 2019 0.64%
Macau 5.9M 2020 0.59%
Chile 5.4M 2019 0.54%
Nigeria 5.3M 2016 0.53%
Andorra 5.2M 2020 0.52%
Romania 5M 2020 0.5%
Bulgaria 5M 2020 0.5%
Israel 4.9M 2019 0.49%
Malaysia 4.3M 2020 0.43%
Portugal 4.2M 2020 0.42%
Cyprus 4.1M 2019 0.41%
Japan 4.1M 2020 0.41%
Indonesia 4.1M 2020 0.41%
South Africa 3.9M 2020 0.39%
Puerto Rico 3.9M 2020 0.39%
Vietnam 3.8M 2020 0.38%
Belarus 3.6M 2020 0.36%
Hong Kong 3.6M 2020 0.36%
Uruguay 3.5M 2019 0.35%
Ukraine 3.4M 2020 0.34%
Latvia 3.2M 2020 0.32%
Morocco 2.8M 2020 0.28%
Dominican Republic 2.7M 2020 0.28%
Singapore 2.7M 2020 0.27%
Albania 2.7M 2020 0.27%
Belgium 2.6M 2020 0.26%
South Korea 2.5M 2020 0.25%
Syria 2.4M 2019 0.24%
Lithuania 2.3M 2020 0.23%
Kuwait 2.2M 2020 0.22%
Ecuador 2.1M 2019 0.21%
Kenya 2M 2019 0.21%
Kazakhstan 2M 2020 0.2%
Mozambique 2M 2019 0.2%
Tunisia 2M 2020 0.2%
Sweden 2M 2020 0.2%
Sint Maarten 2M 2019 0.2%
Aruba 2M 2019 0.2%
Lebanon 1.9M 2019 0.19%
Bahrain 1.9M 2020 0.19%
San Marino 1.9M 2019 0.19%
Botswana 1.8M 2018 0.18%
Australia 1.8M 2020 0.18%
Bahamas 1.8M 2020 0.18%
Estonia 1.7M 2020 0.17%
Rwanda 1.6M 2019 0.16%
Iran 1.6M 2020 0.16%
Tanzania 1.5M 2019 0.15%
Georgia 1.5M 2020 0.15%
Philippines 1.5M 2020 0.15%
Norway 1.4M 2020 0.14%
Colombia 1.4M 2020 0.14%
Senegal 1.4M 2017 0.14%
Jamaica 1.3M 2020 0.13%
Cambodia 1.3M 2020 0.13%
Curacao 1.3M 2019 0.13%
Jordan 1.2M 2020 0.12%
Slovenia 1.2M 2020 0.12%
Costa Rica 1.1M 2020 0.11%
Lesotho 1.1M 2019 0.11%
Peru 1.1M 2020 0.11%
Cuba 1.1M 2020 0.11%
Paraguay 1.1M 2020 0.11%
Brunei 1.1M 2020 0.11%
Tajikistan 1M 2018 0.1%
Cameroon 1M 2019 0.1%
New Zealand 1M 2020 0.1%
Pakistan 966K 2012 0.1%
Barbados 966K 2019 0.1%
Haiti 938K 2019 0.09%
Myanmar 903K 2020 0.09%
Ghana 897K 2015 0.09%
Finland 896K 2020 0.09%
Iraq 892K 2013 0.09%
Laos 886.4K 2020 0.09%
Malawi 871K 2018 0.09%
Oman 869K 2020 0.09%
Sudan 836K 2018 0.08%
Azerbaijan 796K 2020 0.08%
Libya 760K 2008 0.08%
Malta 718K 2020 0.07%
El Salvador 707K 2020 0.07%
Honduras 669K 2020 0.07%
Ivory Coast 668K 2020 0.07%
Cayman Islands 660K 2020 0.07%
Panama 647K 2020 0.06%
Zimbabwe 639K 2020 0.06%
Guatemala 594K 2020 0.06%
Algeria 591K 2020 0.06%
Qatar 582K 2020 0.06%
Maldives 555K 2020 0.06%
Sri Lanka 540K 2020 0.05%
Gabon 526K 2005 0.05%
Luxembourg 525K 2020 0.05%
Ethiopia 518K 2020 0.05%
Zambia 502K 2020 0.05%
Iceland 488K 2020 0.05%
Belize 487K 2020 0.05%
Northern Mariana Islands 487K 2019 0.05%
Togo 482K 2020 0.05%
Nicaragua 474K 2020 0.05%
Uganda 473K 2020 0.05%
Serbia 446K 2020 0.04%
Saint Lucia 432.5K 2020 0.04%
Venezuela 429K 2017 0.04%
Yemen 398K 2015 0.04%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 392K 2019 0.04%
Antigua and Barbuda 384.5K 2020 0.04%
Turkmenistan 380K 1998 0.04%
Armenia 375K 2020 0.04%
Turks and Caicos Islands 370.4K 2020 0.04%
DR Congo 351K 2016 0.04%
Montenegro 351K 2020 0.04%
Eswatini 345.3K 2020 0.03%
Benin 337K 2019 0.03%
Guam 328K 2020 0.03%
Bolivia 323.3K 2020 0.03%
Bangladesh 323K 2019 0.03%
Mauritius 316K 2020 0.03%
Saint Kitts and Nevis 301.4K 2020 0.03%
Burundi 299K 2017 0.03%
Suriname 279K 2017 0.03%
Gambia 246K 2020 0.02%
Nepal 230K 2020 0.02%
Angola 218K 2019 0.02%
Mali 217K 2019 0.02%
Grenada 217K 2020 0.02%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 197K 2020 0.02%
Namibia 187.1K 2020 0.02%
Cape Verde 180K 2020 0.02%
Fiji 168K 2020 0.02%
Monaco 159K 2020 0.02%
Republic of the Congo 158K 2018 0.02%
Eritrea 142K 2016 0.01%
Trinidad and Tobago 141K 2020 0.01%
Dominica 140K 2020 0.01%
Seychelles 124.5K 2020 0.01%
North Macedonia 118K 2020 0.01%
Guinea 99K 2017 0.01%
Tonga 94K 2019 0.01%
French Polynesia 89.4K 2020 0.01%
Madagascar 87.1K 2020 0.01%
Central African Republic 87K 2019 0.01%
Guyana 86.4K 2020 0.01%
Niger 85K 2020 0.01%
British Virgin Islands 83K 2020 0.01%
Vanuatu 82.4K 2020 0.01%
Timor Leste 74.8K 2019 0.01%
Sierra Leone 71K 2019 0.01%
Burkina Faso 67K 2020 0.01%
Mongolia 66.9K 2020 0.01%
Djibouti 63K 2013 0.01%
Liechtenstein 58.4K 2020 0.01%
Guinea Bissau 52.4K 2019 0.01%
Bermuda 51.4K 2020 0.01%
Papua New Guinea 39K 2020 0%
Sao Tome and Principe 33.4K 2018 0%
New Caledonia 31K 2020 0%
Mauritania 30K 2000 0%
Bhutan 29.8K 2020 0%
Moldova 29K 2020 0%
Samoa 23.9K 2020 0%
Palau 18.4K 2020 0%
Micronesia 18K 2019 0%
Kiribati 12K 2019 0%
Chad 10.4K 2020 0%
Comoros 7K 2020 0%
Marshall Islands 6.1K 2019 0%
Solomon Islands 4.4K 2020 0%
Tuvalu 3.6K 2019 0%
American Samoa 900 2020 0%
Total 1B 100%
showing: 202 rows
