The number of international tourist arrivals grew sharply in 2024 over the previous year, slightly exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Either before or after the impact of COVID-19, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers worldwide, with *** million international tourist arrivals in 2024. Spain, the United States, and Turkey followed in the ranking that year. How many tourists travel each year? In 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide totaled almost *** billion, recovering from the impact of COVID-19 and reaching the highest figure reported to date. Meanwhile, international tourism receipts worldwide also hit an all-time high, peaking at over *** billion U.S. dollars in 2024. What are the most popular global regions for inbound tourism? When breaking down the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide by region, Europe has consistently reported the highest volume of inbound travelers over the past 20 years. In 2024, this region alone accounted for over ** percent of global inbound tourist arrivals. That year, Asia and the Pacific recorded the second-highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide.

In 2023, the most visited state in the United States by international tourists was New York, attracting just over ************ visitors. Florida and California followed in the ranking, with almost ************* and slightly under *********** international visitors, respectively.

The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide increased across all regions in 2024 over the previous year. While inbound tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas remained below pre-pandemic levels, they surpassed the figure from 2019 in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Over the period considered, Europe reported the highest volume of inbound travelers, with almost *** million arrivals in 2024. What are the most visited countries by inbound travelers? With Europe being the most visited region by inbound travelers, it comes as no surprise that two European destinations top the ranking of the countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Both before and after the impact of COVID-19, France and Spain reported the most inbound tourist arrivals in the world, ahead of the United States. That said, the United States was the country with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide over the same period. What is the global economic impact of travel and tourism? According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the total contribution of travel and tourism to the gross domestic product worldwide reached just under ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the global travel and tourism sector. Meanwhile, the total number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide exceeded *** million that year.

The number of international tourist arrivals to the selected European destinations increased in 2024 over the previous year, in most cases surpassing pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, Paris and the Île-de-France region recorded the highest figure among the selected destinations, with **** million inbound tourist arrivals. London and Istanbul followed in the ranking that year, with roughly ** million and **** million arrivals, respectively. What are the most visited countries by international tourists? Both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, France was the country with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Meanwhile, the United States consistently ranks as the country with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide. How many tourists travel every year? In 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide exceeded *** billion, catching up with pre-pandemic levels. Breaking down the number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide by region shows that Europe is the global leading destination for inbound tourism, with over *** million international tourist arrivals in 2024.

The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide rose sharply in 2023 compared to the previous year across all the most visited destinations in the world. Overall, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers worldwide in 2023, with 100 million international tourist arrivals. Spain, the United States, and Italy followed in the ranking that year. Has global inbound tourism recovered from the impact of COVID-19? In 2023, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide totaled approximately 1.3 billion. While this figure represented a 33 percent annual increase, it remained below the peak in inbound tourist arrivals reported in 2019, the year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, international tourism receipts worldwide exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023, peaking at 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars. What are the most popular global regions for inbound tourism? When breaking down the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide by region, Europe has consistently reported the highest volume of inbound travelers, both before and after the impact of the health crisis. In 2023, this region alone accounted for roughly 55 percent of global inbound tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific recorded the second-highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide in 2023.

The number of international tourist arrivals in Europe grew in 2024 over the previous year across all the most visited destinations in the region. In 2024, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers in Europe. That year, France, which also topped the ranking of the countries with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide, reported *** million international tourist arrivals, the highest figure recorded by the destination to date. Spain, Turkey, and Italy followed on the list in 2024. Europe is the most popular region for inbound tourism Europe is the region with the highest number of inbound tourism arrivals worldwide, with over *** million arrivals in 2024. Comparatively, there were almost *** million international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific, the second-most visited global region by inbound travelers that year. When breaking down the number of inbound arrivals in Europe by sub-region, Southern and Mediterranean countries reported the highest figures, both before and after the impact of COVID-19. Travel & Tourism Development Index France and Spain, among the most popular travel destinations in Europe in terms of inbound arrivals, were also among the leading countries in the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The TTDI index measures factors and policies that support a sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism worldwide. In 2023, Spain ranked first with a TTDI score of ****, followed by France and Germany.

The United States was the global travel destination with the highest international tourism receipts in 2024. That year, inbound tourism receipts in the U.S. amounted to *** billion U.S. dollars, the highest figure reported to date. Meanwhile, Spain and the United Kingdom followed in the ranking in 2024, with over *** billion and ** billion U.S. dollars, respectively. What are the most visited countries in the world? While France ranked fourth based on international tourism receipts, it topped the list of the countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide, both before and after the impact of the pandemic. In 2024, France recorded *** million arrivals by international travelers, while Spain and the United States followed in the ranking with over ** million and ** million arrivals, respectively. What is the economic impact of travel and tourism worldwide? As estimated, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide amounted to almost ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of these industries. That year, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide exceeded *** million.

The number of international tourist arrivals in the Americas rose sharply in 2023 compared to the previous year. That said, it remained below the figures reported before the impact of COVID-19. Overall, the United States was the most visited country by inbound travelers in the Americas in 2023, with over ** million international tourist arrivals. Mexico and Canada followed in the ranking that year, with around ** million and ** million arrivals, respectively.

The number of international tourist arrivals in Europe grew in 2024 over the previous year across all the most visited destinations in the region. In 2024, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers in Europe. That year, France, which also topped the ranking of the countries with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide, reported *** million international tourist arrivals, the highest figure recorded by the destination to date. Spain, Turkey, and Italy followed on the list in 2024. Europe is the most popular region for inbound tourism Europe is the region with the highest number of inbound tourism arrivals worldwide, with over *** million arrivals in 2024. Comparatively, there were almost *** million international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific, the second-most visited global region by inbound travelers that year. When breaking down the number of inbound arrivals in Europe by sub-region, Southern and Mediterranean countries reported the highest figures, both before and after the impact of COVID-19. Travel & Tourism Development Index France and Spain, among the most popular travel destinations in Europe in terms of inbound arrivals, were also among the leading countries in the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The TTDI index measures factors and policies that support a sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism worldwide. In 2023, Spain ranked first with a TTDI score of ****, followed by France and Germany.

In 2024, global international tourism receipts amounted to roughly *** trillion U.S. dollars. This figure, the highest reported to date, represented a **** percent increase over the previous year. What is the most visited global region by inbound tourists? While global inbound tourism receipts exceeded by far pre-pandemic levels in 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide slightly surpassed the figure reported in 2019. Overall, both before and after the impact of COVID-19, Europe was the most visited global region by international travelers, with over *** million inbound tourist arrivals in 2024. What are the most visited countries by inbound travelers? With Europe being the most popular global region among international travelers, it comes as no surprise that two European destinations topped the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. In 2024, France reported the most inbound tourist arrivals, followed by Spain, the United States, and Turkey.

In 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals in the Americas increased over the previous year across all the selected destinations in the region, except for Argentina and Uruguay. In 2024, the United States was the most visited country by inbound travelers in the Americas, with over ** million international tourist arrivals. Mexico and Canada followed in the ranking that year, with ** million and roughly ** million arrivals, respectively.

The state of São Paulo, Brazil remained the most internationally visited state in Brazil in 2021, with only nearly *** thousand tourist arrivals. Paraná ranked second in that year, surpassing the state of Rio de Janeiro by more than ** thousand arrivals. In total, the number of inbound visitor arrivals in Brazil in 2021 amounted to less than *** thousand.

São Paulo’s contribution to the Brazilian tourism sector

As the most populated state in Brazil, São Paulo plays a key role for many tourism industries in the country. In 2020, for example, the state accounted for approximately ** percent of the total number of restaurants, bars, and similar establishments officially registered at the Ministry of Tourism in Brazil. The Souteast region, where these the state located, is also home to the greatest number of travel agencies in Brazil. Due to its location, bordering the Atlantic Ocean on the East, tourism related to sun and beach activities was the main segment for São Paulo’s travel agencies as of mid-2020.

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Though ranking behind São Paulo in some tourism metrics, Rio de Janeiro outweighs expectations during Brazil’s worldwide famous event. In 2020, the revenue generated by the precursor of the Carnival amid the festivity season surpassed São Paulo’s by roughly *** million Brazilian reals. In that time, there were *** Carnival blocos -or street parade blocks- in the homonymous state’s capital, and its hotel occupancy rate marked roughly ** percent. This was nonetheless lower than in previous years.

In 2024, London played a prominent role in supporting international tourism in the United Kingdom. That year, the UK's capital accounted for roughly ** percent of all inbound tourist arrivals in the country. Meanwhile, Paris and the Île-de-France region represented around ** percent of all international arrivals to France, whereas travelers to Barcelona made up almost ** percent of inbound tourist arrivals in Spain in 2024. What are the most visited European cities? When looking at the number of inbound tourist arrivals to leading travel destinations in Europe, Paris and Île-de-France, the region surrounding the French capital, recorded the highest figure in 2024, with nearly ** million arrivals. London and Istanbul, also among the leading city tourism destinations in Europe based on the number of bed nights, followed in the ranking that year, with around ** million and over ** million inbound tourist arrivals, respectively. What are the most visited European countries? Both before and after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, France, Spain, and Italy were the most visited European countries by international travelers. Meanwhile, Spain consistently ranks as the European country with the highest number of inbound tourism receipts.

In 2024, the highest number of inbound international visitors to the United States, ***** million, came from Canada. Meanwhile, approximately ** million visitors came from Mexico.

Calculating the number of inbound visitors using air, sea and land transportationSource: Inbound Tourism Survey

In 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals in travel accommodation establishments in the Netherlands amounted to roughly 21.3 million. This figure, the highest reported over the period considered, represented an increase of five percent over the previous year. Which nationalities visit the Netherlands the most? When breaking down the number of overnight stays in the Netherlands' hotels by country, Germany reported the highest figure among all inbound travel markets in 2024, ranking ahead of the United Kingdom and the United States. That year, German guests spent over seven million nights at the country's hotels. Meanwhile, looking at the leading regions in the Netherlands based on the number of inbound hotel overnight stays, Noord-Holland, whose largest city is Amsterdam, topped the ranking in 2024, with over nine million overnight stays by international travelers. How many tourists visit Amsterdam every year? Amsterdam plays a key role in the Netherlands' tourism market, being by far the Dutch municipality with the highest tourist tax revenue in 2024. That year, the number of tourist arrivals in Amsterdam, including inbound and domestic travelers, reached almost 10 million, denoting an increase over the previous year.

The United States is the most popular country of origin among international air travelers arriving or passing through Mexican airports. In 2024, air travelers arriving by air in the Latin American country from the United States amounted to around **** million. Canada was the second country of origin for international air tourists in Mexico, with only roughly *** million arrivals. Traveling to Mexico from the United States Air passenger arrivals from the United States were significantly lower than the number of U.S. citizens visiting Mexico in 2019. This fact suggests that, for the most part, U.S. travelers arrive in Mexican territory using other modes of transport. In the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cruise vessels calling at Mexico increased steadily, many of which sail from U.S. ports across the Gulf of Mexico. And with a continental border that spans over ***** thousand kilometers, the United States also accounts for the largest number of incoming visitors arriving by land to Mexico. Mexico: an attractive destination for U.S. medical patients Driven by continually rising out-of-pocket payments in the most expensive health care system worldwide, an increasing number of U.S. residents are seeking routine, critical, and special medical treatments in other countries, with Mexico being one of the most sought-after destinations. Due to their geographic proximity and the significant disparity between the two nations’ currencies, medical services in Mexico are comparably cheaper for patients who live in the United States.

Close to *** million international tourists arrived in Costa Rica in 2022, registering an annual growth of over ** percent. However, this figure was still around ** below the peak of 2019, when the Central American country recorded more than ************* visitor arrivals. Expenditure on trips to Costa Rica The total visitor spending in the Central American country, including the cost of transportation, surpassed *** billion U.S. dollars. With an average of *** thousand U.S. dollars per trip, the expenditure of international tourists played a substantial role in the Costa Rican service exports, contributing to nearly one-fifth in 2021. How do tourists choose to travel in Costa Rica? Between January 2019 and December 2022, the month which witnessed the most significant number of tourist arrivals was January 2020, surpassing *** thousand. In 2022, December emerged as the most favored month by tourists, with over *** thousand arrivals. Regarding transport modes, the Central American country saw almost *** million international tourist arrivals by air that year, while the number of visitor arrivals by water or road was under ** thousand. Moreover, approximately *** thousand tourist arrivals in Costa Rica originated in the United States, making it the primary contributor to the country's tourism industry.

In 2022, Jamaica welcomed nearly *** million overnight tourist arrivals from the United States, ranking as the most popular country of origin among foreign visitors in the Caribbean island that year. The second place in the ranking was occupied by Canada with almost *** thousand tourist arrivals. How long do visitors stay in Jamaica? The average number of nights spent by international tourists in Jamaica showed an overall declining trend between 2010 and 2019, going from an average of **** to less than *****, with some small growth happening between 2014 and 2016. However, foreign visitors in Jamaican territory stayed once again around **** nights in 2020 and 2021 on average, representing an increase of more than ** percent versus 2019. Nonetheless in 2022, the average number of nights spent by tourists in the country decreased again to around * nights. When is the most popular month for tourists to travel to Jamaica? In July and December 2022, the average number of international overnight tourist arrivals in Jamaica was roughly *** and *** thousand visitors respectively, making these two months the most popular amongst tourists. Additionally, the month of December 2022 saw the highest year-over-year number of arrivals, with an increase of approximately ** percent compared to December of the previous year. Thus, this recovery nearly reached pre-pandemic levels of *** thousand in 2019. In terms of spending, international tourists in Jamaica contributed around *** billion U.S. dollars in 2022, representing a ** percent increase compared to the previous year. This growth was part of a broader trend throughout the *****, where inbound tourism spending in the Caribbean country steadily increased.

The number of inbound visits in Greece grew significantly in 2024 over the previous year, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, the Attica region, which includes the city of Athens, recorded the most inbound visits, at roughly *** million. Southern Aegean, Central Macedonia, and Crete followed in the ranking that year. What are the leading inbound travel markets in Greece? In 2024, Germany was the leading inbound tourist market in Greece, with over **** million arrivals in the country. The United Kingdom reported the second-highest figure that year, with approximately *** million arrivals. Overall, the total number of international travelers in Greece peaked at over ** million in 2024. How many Greek tourists travel abroad? The number of outbound travelers from Greece grew by ***** percent in 2024 over the previous year, totaling almost *** million. Despite the annual increase, the volume of outbound travelers remained below pre-pandemic levels.