In 2023, the most visited city in the United States by international tourists was New York, attracting just under nine million visitors. Miami and Los Angeles followed in the ranking, with roughly 4.4 million and 3.6 million international visitors, respectively.

This statistic shows the leading city destinations in the United States in 2019, by number of international arrivals. New York was the leading city destination in the U.S. in terms of international arrivals with approximately ** million visitors from foreign countries in 2019.

The Mexican city of Cancún was the top Latin American destination for foreign visitors in 2018, with approximately 6.04 million international tourist arrivals. This number was expected to increase by 1.8 percent in 2019, reaching 6.15 million foreign arrivals that year. Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, ranked second on the list of top city destinations for international tourism in Latin America, with nearly 2.7 million international tourist arrivals in 2018 and an estimate of 2.77 million arrivals for 2019. During the depicted period, the most visited city in the whole American continent was New York.

Bangkok had the most international overnight visitors in 2018 with 22.78 million, followed by Paris and London with 19.1 and 19.09 million, respectively.
 

 Is Bangkok the world’s number one tourist destination?

Bangkok has become increasingly popular as a tourist attraction over the past years, and its popularity looks unlikely to wane any time soon. The number of overnight visitors to Thailand’s capital has more than doubled since 2010. The city has many attractions on offer, including temples, local markets, a varied nightlife and shopping. Therefore, it may come as no surprise that Bangkok was also one of the leading cities in international visitor spending worldwide in 2018, with visitors to the city spending over 20 billion U.S. dollars. Although tourists spend a lot of money when traveling to Bangkok, it still ranked among the 30 cheapest holiday destinations in the world by average price per night per person in 2018.

Global tourism industry 

Globally, the tourism industry has experienced continuous year-over-year growth for the past decade. In 2018, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide was estimated to reach approximately 1.4 billion – the figure having more than doubled over the past 15 years.

The number of international tourist arrivals to the selected European destinations increased significantly in 2023 over the previous year, experiencing strong signs of recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in some cases even surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Overall, Paris and the Île-de-France region recorded the highest figure among the selected destinations in 2023, with around **** 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 health crisis, France was the country with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. In 2023, inbound arrivals to France reached *** million, the highest figure reported by the country to date. Meanwhile, the United States, which ranked third by inbound arrivals that year, was the country with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide. Has inbound tourism recovered from the impact of COVID-19? While the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide grew sharply in 2023 compared to the previous year, it remained approximately ** percent lower than in 2019. Overall, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP was **** percent below pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

In 2015, Dubai was the city with the highest number of tourists staying at least one night per capita. That same year, international overnight visitor spending in Dubai reached 28.5 billion US dollars. The city, which is the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, was also one of the most expensive holiday destinations in the world in 2018. In 2016, 14.87 million people visited Dubai from abroad.

Europe and Asia: top destinations

According to the source, most of the 20 tourist cities with the highest number of visitor arrivals per capita were Asian or European cities. After Dubai, Amsterdam and Prague were the second and third cities with the greatest number of tourists spending at least one night per capita. With respectively, 2.7 and 2.5 visitors per capita, the two European cities were followed by another one: London. Singapore, ranked fifth with 2.1 visitors per capita, was the first Asian city in the list. Thus, New-York the first North American city of this ranking was 17th. It appears that Europe remains one of the most popular tourist destinations. Asia was also a very attractive destinations for international visitors with Hong-Kong being the leading city destination in 2017.

Focus on tourism in Europe

Since the nineties, the number of international tourist arrivals in Europe keeps increasing. France is the European country with the largest number of international visitors’ arrivals, while Spain and Italy are also two of the leading tourist destinations on the continent. Travel and tourism have an important contribution to GDP in Europe, reaching 781.6 billion US dollar and 2018 and expected to attain 991.4 billion in 2028.

DRAKO is a Mobile Location Data provider with a programmatic trading desk specializing in geolocation analytics and programmatic advertising. Our Tourism Data has helped cities, counties, and states better understand who their visitors are so that they can effectively develop and deliver advertising campaigns. We’re in a unique position to deliver enriched insight beyond traditional surveying or other data sources because of our rich dataset, proprietary modelling capabilities, and analytical capabilities.

MAIDs (Mobile Advertising IDs) are unique device identifiers associated with consenting mobile devices that can be utilized for geolocation based analyses and audiences. Drako uses MAIDs to fuel our Tourism Data utilizing our Home Location Model. The Home Location of a MAID is determined based on where that MAID is seen most frequently between the hours of 11pm and 6am (local time). Using this we are able to determine the Home Location of a user which in turn allows us to identify when and where they are travelling.

Beyond identifying that users are tourists, we can also classify them into different bins by their frequency / dwell time over their estimated number of visits. Using our data and frequency, we can identify: overnight visitors, weekend visits, short-term stays, long-term stays, or frequent holiday visitors !

Beyond Tourism Data in your defined geography alone, we are also able to provide: - Home location - Find out where your audience is coming from using our home location technology - Movement - Quantify how far users have travelled between locations. - Demographics - Discover neighborhood level characteristics such as income, ethnicity, and more - Brand index - Learn which major brands and retailers your audience is visiting the most. - Visitation index - See which destinations your visitors are visiting the most - Addressable audience - Customize your audiences for your campaigns using our analytic insights

Moreover, if you’re looking to activate your Tourism Data for advertising, we’re always able to further refine or filter your desired audience with our other Audience Data, such as: Brand visits, Geodemographics, Ticketed Event visits, Purchase Intent (in Canada), Purchase History (in USA), and more !

Data Compliance: All of our Tourism Data is fully CCPA compliant and 100% sourced from SDKs (Software Development Kits), the most reliable and consistent mobile data stream with end user consent available with only a 4-5 day delay. This means that our location and device ID data comes from partnerships with over 1,500+ mobile apps. This data comes with an associated location which is how we are able to segment using geofences.

Data Quality: In addition to partnering with trusted SDKs, DRAKO has additional screening methods to ensure that our mobile location data is consistent and reliable. This includes data harmonization and quality scoring from all of our partners in order to disregard MAIDs with a low quality score.

In 2018, Cancún (Mexico) was the Latin American city with the largest number of international visitors, receiving a total of 6.04 million tourists. It was followed by Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) with 3.89 million international tourists that year.

The number of international arrivals in tourist accommodation establishments in Rome, Italy, rose significantly in 2023 over the previous year, but remained below pre-pandemic levels. Overall, inbound tourist arrivals in the city reached around *** million in 2023. Which nationalities visit Rome the most? In 2023, the United States was by far the leading inbound travel market in Rome based on tourist arrivals, with over *** million arrivals of U.S. travelers to the city’s accommodation services. In the same year, the United Kingdom, Spain, and France followed in the ranking. How many people visit the Colosseum every year? The Colosseum archaeological park, one of Rome’s most famous landmarks, ranked as the most visited cultural attraction in Italy in 2023, with over ** million visits. That year, the iconic site also topped the list of Italian museums and archaeological areas with the highest income, ranking ahead of Pompeii and the Uffizi Galleries.

(UNCLASSIFIED) Since the end of its 14-year civil war in 2003, Liberia has made significant progress in developing its tourism industry. The U.S. has been an instrumental partner in this regard, contributing as much as US $1 billion in bilateral assistance to the Liberian government for reconstruction purposes. Given the extent of structural and societal damage incurred during the war-era, Liberia’s most visited tourist attractions are now mostly ecological, including 350 miles of Atlantic beaches, the Sapo National Park (comprised of a sprawling tropical rainforest), and various rivers, islands, and mountains across the country. In late 2011, Liberia was granted full membership status by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, which guaranteed the country international assistance in policy drafting and development of its tourism industry. In late-2010, Delta Airlines responded to increased demand for air transport to the country by becoming the first American carrier to fly to Liberia in twenty years. In 2012, the Emerging Business Lab published a tourist map of Monrovia with directions to the city’s historic highlights, hotels, and restaurants. The map is now available online and has expanded since its first issue to include amenities such as cafes and Wi-Fi hotspots. Exact statistics on the impact of Ebola on Liberia’s tourism sector are unavailable. The U.S. Department of State issued a press release in August 2014 ordering the departure of family members of Embassy employees in Monrovia. Though the Embassy has retained its staff and additional personnel have been deployed to assist Liberian authorities, all other U.S. citizens are warned to defer any non-essential travel to the country. Given burgeoning travel restrictions and the ongoing inability of Liberian and international authorities to contain the virus, regression in Liberia’s tourism industry is likely.Attribute Table Field DescriptionsISO3 - International Organization for Standardization 3-digit country code ADM0_NAME - Administration level zero identification / name ADM1_NAME - Administration level one identification / name ADM2_NAME - Administration level two identification / name NAME - Name of tourist attraction TYPE - Classification in the geodatabase CITY - City location available SPA_ACC - Spatial accuracy of site location (1 – high, 2 – medium, 3 – low) COMMENTS - Comments or notes regarding the tourist attraction SOURCE_DT - Source one creation date SOURCE - Source one SOURCE2_DT - Source two creation date SOURCE2 - Source two CollectionThe feature class was generated utilizing data from OpenStreetMap, Wikimapia, GeoNames and other sources. OpenStreetMap is a free worldwide map, created by crowd-sourcing. Wikimapia is open-content mapping focused on gathering all geographical objects in the world. Consistent naming conventions for geographic locations were attempted but name variants may exist, which can include historical or less widespread interpretations.The data included herein have not been derived from a registered survey and should be considered approximate unless otherwise defined. While rigorous steps have been taken to ensure the quality of each dataset, DigitalGlobe is not responsible for the accuracy and completeness of data compiled from outside sources.Metadata information was collected primarily from travel blogs and news media articles.Sources (HGIS)DigitalGlobe, “DigitalGlobe Imagery Archive.” Accessed October 01, 2014. GeoNames, “Liberia.” September 23, 2014. Accessed October 01, 2014. http://www.geonames.org.Google, September 2014. Accessed October 01, 2014. www.google.com.OpenStreetMap, “Liberia.” September 2014. Accessed October 01, 2014. http://www.openstreetmap.org.Wikimapia, “Liberia.” September 2014. Accessed October 01, 2014. http://wikimapia.org.Sources (Metadata)“Country Report: Travel and Tourism in Liberia.” Euromonitor International. December 01, 2012. Accessed October 02, 2014. http://www.euromonitor.com.Hirsch, Afua. “Monrovia tourist guide taps into Liberian capital’s growing potential: New map aims to show off city more renowned for war and strife, pointing way to historic sites and cocktail bars.” The Guardian. October 17, 2012. Accessed October 02, 2014. http://www.theguardian.com.“Sector Profile: Liberia - Principle Economic Sectors of Liberia.” Focus: Africa. January 01, 2010. Accessed October 02, 2014. http://focusafrica.gov.in.“Travel security advisories – Flight bans and closures.” International SOS. October 01, 2014. Accessed October 02, 2014. https://www.internationalsos.com.“Travel and Tourism – Liberia.” World Travel Market. May 01, 2010. Accessed October 02, 2014. http://www.wtmlondon.com.

In 2023, the number of international hotel guests in the selected Dutch cities increased significantly compared to the previous year. Overall, Amsterdam recorded by far the highest figure, with just under seven million inbound hotel guests in 2023. Rotterdam ranked second in the list, with 776 thousand inbound hotel guests. Accommodation services in Amsterdam: hotels vs. Airbnb Based on data on the accommodation establishments in Amsterdam broken down by type, there were just over 500 hotels in the popular Dutch destination in 2023. By comparison, the number of Airbnb listings in Amsterdam totaled nearly 9,000 as of March 2024, with entire homes and apartments accounting for most listings. How many inbound tourists visit the Netherlands? In 2023, the Netherlands ranked behind Austria and ahead of Poland in the list of the most visited European countries by inbound visitors, with over 20 million inbound tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, international tourism receipts in the Netherlands amounted to approximately 20 billion U.S. dollars that year, exceeding the figures recorded before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Paris was the city with the highest direct travel and tourism contribution to GDP in 2022. That year, the direct travel and tourism GDP in the capital of France - the country with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide - amounted to roughly ***** billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, Beijing and Orlando followed on the ranking in 2022, with a direct travel and tourism GDP of around **** billion and **** billion U.S. dollars, respectively.

In 2024, Cuzco, Peru, was named the top destination in Latin America by travelers, receiving a score of 87.47. The small southern city of Antigua, Guatemala, followed in second place with a score of nearly 86 points.

Mexico was the most visited destination by international tourists in Latin America in 2023, surpassing ** million tourist arrivals in that year. In the second place, but far behind, was the Dominican Republic. A global tourism powerhouse By developing airport infrastructure and calibrating new direct flights, Mexico has set international tourism high on its priorities list. At the forefront of Mexico's spike in international tourism is the FONATUR, or Mexico's National Fund for Tourism Development. The tourism body worked in the expansion of Cancun's airport and other four key tourist airports in the country. Plus, Mexico City's airport added new international direct flights in the *****, resulting in being rated as the best internationally connected airport in Latin America in 2019. With this and other developments in this sector, the North American country managed to rank among the top 20 destinations in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Ranking that year. South America's tourism leader Through its geographically diverse landscape and globally recognized wine industry, Argentina has grown its international tourism sector. The influx of foreign visitors to Argentina can in some way be attributed to the country's air-travel infrastructure. The national air carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas, was one of the top airline operating in Latin America in 2019. That same year, passenger traffic to Argentinian airports grew by **** percent. Though in April 2020, in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the arrival of international air travel tourists to Argentina came to a complete halt, ensuing a similar fate of the global tourism industry.

Amusement Park Market Outlook

The global amusement park market size was valued at approximately USD 52 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 75 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to various factors including rising disposable incomes, increasing urbanization, and technological advancements in ride and entertainment experiences.

One of the primary growth factors driving the amusement park market is the rising disposable income among the middle class in emerging economies. As people have more disposable income, they are more likely to spend on leisure activities, including visits to amusement parks. This increase in discretionary spending boosts attendance and revenues, fueling market growth. In addition, the urbanization trend is leading to more people living in cities, where large amusement parks are often located, making it easier for them to visit these entertainment hubs.

Technological advancements in ride safety, entertainment experiences, and virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) attractions are also significant growth drivers. Innovative ride designs and immersive experiences attract a broader audience, including tech-savvy teenagers and young adults who seek out new and exciting forms of entertainment. Moreover, the integration of smart technologies to enhance visitor experience through mobile apps, fast-pass systems, and real-time updates is making amusement parks more appealing to the modern consumer.

The expansion of themed attractions and brand collaborations further contributes to market growth. Popular franchises from movies, cartoons, and video games are increasingly being integrated into amusement park themes, drawing fans from around the world. This trend not only increases visitor numbers but also opens up additional revenue streams through merchandise sales and themed food and beverage offerings. Themed attractions offer a unique experience that can't easily be replicated, providing parks with a competitive edge.

Regionally, the Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate, driven by economic development, increasing tourism, and substantial investments in new amusement parks. North America, already a mature market, continues to grow steadily due to ongoing upgrades and the introduction of new attractions. Europe also remains a strong market, benefiting from well-established parks and a high level of consumer spending on entertainment. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are expected to see moderate growth, as investments in new parks and the tourism sector continue to rise.

Ride Type Analysis

The amusement park market is segmented by ride type into roller coasters, water rides, flat rides, and others. Roller coasters hold a significant share of the market, driven by their popularity among thrill-seekers and continuous innovation in design and technology. Manufacturers are constantly pushing the boundaries with higher speeds, steeper drops, and more complex track designs to attract visitors. The introduction of hybrid roller coasters, which combine wooden and steel elements, has also added a new dimension to the ride experience, further boosting their appeal.

Water rides are another key segment, especially popular during the summer months. These rides include water slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers, which attract visitors looking for a way to cool off while having fun. Themed water parks and the integration of advanced water filtration and recycling systems are contributing to the segment's growth. Increasing concerns about water usage and sustainability are pushing parks to adopt more eco-friendly technologies, which in turn enhances their appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Flat rides, such as carousels, Ferris wheels, and bumper cars, are longstanding attractions that cater to a broad audience, including families with young children. These rides are less intense than roller coasters, making them accessible to a wider range of visitors. Innovations in ride design and theming, along with advanced safety features, are helping to maintain their popularity. Furthermore, flat rides are often the first attractions that visitors encounter, serving as an entry point to the broader amusement park experience.

The "others" category encompasses a variety of attractions, including dark rides, interactive simulators, and live entertainment shows. This segment is growing as parks diversify their offeri

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 *** 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 *** billion. While this figure represented a ** 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 *** 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 ** percent of global inbound tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific recorded the second-highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide in 2023.

This statistic shows the most visited tourist attractions worldwide as of April 2014. Each year, 22.5 million people visit Niagara Falls.

Most visited tourist attractions - additional information

Attracting just short of 40 million visitors per year, the Las Vegas Strip was the most visited tourist attraction in the world as of April 2014, closely followed by Times Square in New York City with 39.2 million. The top nine tourist attractions, and 28 out of the top 50, were located in the United States. With so much to see and do in their own country, it is not surprising that many U.S. travelers choose to take domestic trips over international ones – in 2014, 84 percent of people taking trips were traveling domestically, compared to just 16 percent traveling abroad.

The Las Vegas Strip, situated in Las Vegas in the state of Nevada, is well-known for its gambling and casino scene, nightlife, restaurants and shopping. The city is packed with resorts offering a variety of entertainment for visitors. Nevada’s most famous industry, casino gaming, was expected to generate around 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2015. Las Vegas is also a leader in the U.S. meetings and conventions industry, hosting more than 22 thousand conventions in 2013.

Outside of the U.S., the most visited tourist attraction was the Forbidden City in Beijing, receiving more than 15 million visitors annually. Built in the early fifteenth century, the Forbidden City was home to Emperors and the center of Chinese government from the Ming dynasty until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The most visited tourist attraction in Europe was the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. The ancient market received 15 million visitors in 2014, although only ranked 11th worldwide.

In a survey conducted by BVA in 2015, most of French people chose New York City as the foreign city they would like to visit on holiday. The Big Apple remains popular in France, despite being one of the most expensive holiday destinations in the world in 2018. New York City’s famous architecture, as well as the Statue of Liberty or Central Park, keep attracting thousands of French who want to discover the city that never sleeps.

The French dream of distant cities

It appears that when it comes to popular foreign cities, French tourists seem to have a clear preference for cities which are far from home. In this ranking, New York was followed by Sydney and Montreal. This trend follows another a ranking from 2015 about the most attractive countries for holiday. According to the French, the United States was ranked first, before Canada and Australia. However, the French are still able to dream of their European neighbors. Florence, Barcelona and Rome were among the most popular cities according to French tourists. Mediterranean countries like Spain, Italy or Portugal were also among the destinations French people considered going to for summer holidays. Proximity, organization and price explain why, even if the French dream of holidays on the other side of the world, they tend to spend their holidays in Europe or even in their own country.

Reasons for travelling in France when you are French

Some regions in France, because of their pleasant living environment or their closeness to the sea, are among the most popular for French tourists. Corsica, Brittany and Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur are three very famous tourist destinations in the country. It also seems that French tourists like to spend their holidays with family of friends, which could explain why most French people plan holiday trips in their own country.

When it comes to global tourism, some cities are more expensive than others. They may also attract tourists that are willing to spend a bit more. Dubai had by far the largest international visitor spending in the world in 2018 at 30.82 billion U.S. dollars.

After a steep decline in the number of international visitors arriving to Portugal during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), 2022 recorded similar values to the pre-pandemic times. Lisbon was the most visited Portuguese region by international travelers in the same year, having received a total of *** million overnight visitors. In 2023, the number of international tourists in the country was even higher. Lisbon received almost *** million foreign guests. The Algarve – the Southern-most region in the European country – ranked second, with *** million tourists from other nations. Spanish visitors dominated, but the Algarve was mainly for the British International tourists in Portugal mostly originated from European countries. The United Kingdom recorded the highest number of travelers visiting Portugal in 2024, reaching the benchmark of almost *** million. Spain accounted for over **** million visitors to Portugal, ******* of whom selecting the Algarve as destination. This southern region of the country received, in 2024, *** million British tourists, who were only surpassed in number by Portuguese visitors. Travel and tourism had an undeniable economic impact The great influx of tourists in Portugal had a considerable economic impact in the country. As of 2024, the travel and tourism sector contributed with **** billion U. S. dollars to the gross domestic product of Portugal, which surpasses 2019 values. In terms of sales revenue, the sector presents a rising tendency. The year 2019 registered ** billion euros in sales revenue, which were topped in 2023. During this year, almost ** billion euros were generated in sales of tourism services.