Which countries have the most tourists?
France has the most tourists of any country, with about 102 million international arrivals in 2024, followed by Spain (93.8 million) and the United States (72.4 million), according to UN Tourism [1]. Turkey, Italy, Mexico, the UK, Germany, Japan and Greece complete the top 10. Worldwide there were 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals in 2025, 4% more than in 2024 [1].
The infographic by Irish Dual Citizenship ranks 185 countries by tourist arrivals and their share of the world total. Many of its figures are from 2020, when the pandemic cut international travel to a fraction of its normal level, so the order is quite different from a normal year. Current figures are used below, and the section on why figures vary between sources explains the difference.
Top 10 most visited countries in the world
These are international tourist arrivals (visitors staying at least one night) for 2024, the latest full year with figures for every country in the list, with 2025 where it has been published [1].
| Rank | Country | Tourist arrivals 2024 (million) | Tourist arrivals 2025 (million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 102.0 | not yet published |
| 2 | Spain | 93.8 | 96.8 |
| 3 | United States | 72.4 | 68.3 |
| 4 | Turkey | 60.6 | 62.0 |
| 5 | Italy | 57.7 | 61.5 |
| 6 | Mexico | 45.0 | 47.8 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 41.8 | not yet published |
| 8 | Germany | 37.5 | not yet published |
| 9 | Japan | 36.9 | not shown |
| 10 | Greece | 36.0 | 38.0 |
China is often left out of this list because UN Tourism did not publish a comparable figure for it. China’s immigration service counted 64.9 million entries by foreign nationals in 2024, which would put it in the top five, but that is a count of border crossings, not of tourists staying overnight [1].
The 2025 figures show the US moving the other way from most of the top 10. Its arrivals fell from 72.4 million to 68.3 million, while Spain, Italy, Mexico and Greece all set new records [1].
Why France is the most visited country
France has been the world’s most visited country for decades. Paris is one of the most popular city destinations in the world, and the country also has the Alps, the Mediterranean coast, wine regions and 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its location matters as much. France borders eight countries, and millions of visitors from the UK, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland can drive or take the train there. Many people also spend a night in France on their way to Spain or Italy, and they count as arrivals too.
Spain is close behind and is gaining. It had 93.8 million arrivals in 2024 and 96.8 million in 2025, helped by beach holidays from the UK, Germany and France [1]. Spain also earns more from international tourism than France, $113.8 billion against $84.0 billion in 2025 [1].
Countries with the most tourists for their population
The word crowded in the infographic’s title suggests tourists per resident, but its ranking is by total arrivals. Comparing 2024 arrivals with population gives a different picture [1][3].
| Country or territory | Tourist arrivals 2024 (million) | Population 2024 (million) | Tourists per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 45.0 | 7.5 | 6.0 |
| Austria | 31.9 | 9.2 | 3.5 |
| Greece | 36.0 | 10.4 | 3.5 |
| Portugal | 29.0 | 10.7 | 2.7 |
| Spain | 93.8 | 48.8 | 1.9 |
| France | 102.0 | 68.6 | 1.5 |
| Netherlands | 21.2 | 18.0 | 1.2 |
| Italy | 57.7 | 59.0 | 1.0 |
| United Kingdom | 41.8 | 69.3 | 0.6 |
| United States | 72.4 | 340.0 | 0.2 |
Small territories go much higher than any of these. In 2019 Macao had about 39.4 million arrivals for a population of 672,000, close to 60 visitors per resident [2][3]. That is why overtourism is felt most in compact destinations like Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and the Greek islands rather than across whole countries.
Countries with the fewest tourists
The least visited countries are mostly small, remote Pacific island nations that are expensive and slow to reach. In 2019, the last normal year in the World Bank’s data, Tuvalu had about 3,600 international arrivals, the Marshall Islands 6,100, Kiribati 12,000 and Micronesia 18,000 [2]. American Samoa had about 19,200 [2].
Some countries get few tourists for other reasons, such as conflict, poor transport links or visa rules. Chad had about 81,000 arrivals in 2019 and Comoros about 45,000 [2]. A number of countries, including North Korea, Turkmenistan and Eritrea, do not report arrivals at all, so they are missing from rankings like this one.
Why tourist arrival figures vary between sources
The infographic uses each country’s most recent World Bank figure at the time it was made, which was 2018 to 2020 depending on the country, and divides it by the 1.5 billion world arrivals of 2019. That mixes normal years with the pandemic year. Most of the top 10 values are 2020 figures: France 117.1 million, Spain 36.4 million, Italy 38.4 million and the US 45.0 million are all World Bank figures for 2020, while Poland (88.5 million), Thailand (39.9 million) and Czechia (37.2 million) are 2019 figures [2].
The World Bank series also counts arrivals differently in different countries. For some, including France, Poland and Hungary, it includes same-day visitors crossing land borders, which is why France shows 117.1 million in a pandemic year and Poland ranks second. In 2019, on the same basis, France had 217.9 million arrivals and Spain 126.2 million [2]. The UN Tourism figures in the table above count only overnight tourists, which is the usual way countries are compared.
The same problem affects the bottom of the graphic. American Samoa’s 900 arrivals, Chad’s 10,400 and the Solomon Islands’ 4,400 are 2020 figures. In 2019 they had 19,200, 81,000 and 28,900 [2].
Questions about countries with the most tourists
What is the most visited country in the world?
France, with about 102 million international tourist arrivals in 2024. Spain is second with 93.8 million [1].
What are the most visited countries in Europe?
France, Spain, Turkey, Italy, the UK, Greece and Germany. Europe as a whole received 793.5 million international arrivals in 2025, more than half of the world total [1].
Which country has the most tourists in Asia?
Japan had 36.9 million arrivals in 2024 and Thailand 35.5 million, while Hong Kong had 45.0 million [1]. China’s count of foreign entries was higher, at 64.9 million, but it is measured differently [1].
How many international tourists are there each year?
There were 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals in 2025, a new record and 4% more than in 2024 [1]. Before the pandemic, arrivals were about 1.5 billion in 2019, the figure the infographic uses for its percentages.
Is the United States the most visited country?
No. The US was third in 2024 with 72.4 million arrivals, behind France and Spain, and its arrivals fell to 68.3 million in 2025 [1]. It still earns more from international tourism than any other country, $213.0 billion in 2025 [1].
Sources
- Wikipedia, World Tourism rankings, compiled from UN Tourism’s International Tourism Highlights 2025 and World Tourism Barometer, and national statistics.
- World Bank, International tourism, number of arrivals (ST.INT.ARVL), the data source named on the graphic.
- World Bank, Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL), 2024.
- Irish Dual Citizenship, Which Countries Are the Most (and Least) Crowded with Tourists? The original post of this graphic.
Last reviewed 9 November 2026
