Tourism by Country (2019)

179 countries ranked by international arrivals in 2019, the last year before the pandemic · Source: UNWTO / World Bank

The latest figures are for 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic cut international travel sharply, so the ranking uses 2019 and shows 2020 alongside.

Most arrivals: France; 217.9M · 2019
Median country: 2.4M; Half of the 179 countries received more
Fewest arrivals: Tuvalu; 3,600 · 2019
Change in 2020: −67%; Combined arrivals, 132 countries with both years

How to Read This Ranking

This table ranks countries by international arrivals in 2019, using the World Bank's series from UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO). The latest figures in the World Bank series are for 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and only 132 of these 179 countries have one. Across the 132 countries with figures for both years, arrivals fell 67%. 2019 is the last year of normal international travel, so the ranking uses it and shows 2020 alongside. Countries count arrivals differently: some count only overnight visitors (tourists), others count every non-resident arriving at the border, including same-day visitors, and some count guests at hotels. Treat the ranking as a rough guide rather than a like-for-like comparison.

In 2019, the countries with the most arrivals were France (217.9M), United States (165.5M), China (162.5M), Spain (126.2M) and Mexico (97.4M). In 2020, France still had the most, with 117.1M. Counting its indirect effects, the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that travel and tourism account for roughly a tenth of world GDP, and for many island nations and developing countries tourism is the main source of foreign currency and jobs.

Since the pandemic, recovery has been uneven: European travel rebounded fastest, while some Asian markets recovered more slowly. Climate change poses a long-term threat, as rising seas threaten island destinations, extreme heat makes summer travel to the Mediterranean less attractive, and ski resorts face shorter seasons.

All 179 countries ranked

International arrivals in 2019 for 179 countries, most first, with 2020 and the change alongside. Source: UNWTO / World Bank.
#	Country	Arrivals, 2019	Arrivals, 2020	Change
1	France	217.9M	117.1M	−46%
2	United States	165.5M	45.0M	−73%
3	China	162.5M	30.4M	−81%
4	Spain	126.2M	36.4M	−71%
5	Mexico	97.4M	51.1M	−48%
6	Italy	95.4M	38.4M	−60%
7	Poland	88.5M	No figure
8	Hungary	61.4M	31.6M	−48%
9	Croatia	60.0M	21.6M	−64%
10	Hong Kong	55.9M	3.6M	−94%
11	Türkiye	51.7M	16.0M	−69%
12	United Kingdom	40.9M	11.1M	−73%
13	Thailand	39.9M	No figure
14	Germany	39.6M	12.4M	−69%
15	Macao	39.4M	5.9M	−85%
16	Czechia	37.2M	No figure
17	Greece	34.0M	7.4M	−78%
18	Denmark	33.1M	15.6M	−53%
19	Canada	32.4M	No figure
20	Austria	31.9M	15.1M	−53%
21	Japan	31.9M	4.1M	−87%
22	Malaysia	26.1M	4.3M	−83%
23	United Arab Emirates	25.3M	8.1M	−68%
24	Russia	24.4M	6.4M	−74%
25	Saudi Arabia	20.3M	No figure
26	Netherlands	20.1M	7.3M	−64%
27	Singapore	19.1M	2.7M	−86%
28	Vietnam	18.0M	3.8M	−79%
29	India	17.9M	No figure
30	South Korea	17.5M	2.5M	−86%
31	Portugal	17.3M	4.2M	−76%
32	Indonesia	16.1M	4.1M	−75%
33	South Africa	14.8M	3.9M	−74%
34	Ukraine	13.7M	3.4M	−75%
35	Morocco	13.1M	2.8M	−79%
36	Egypt	13.0M	No figure
37	Romania	12.8M	5.0M	−61%
38	Bulgaria	12.6M	5.0M	−60%
39	Belarus	11.8M	3.6M	−70%
40	Switzerland	11.8M	No figure
41	Bahrain	11.1M	1.9M	−83%
42	Ireland	11.0M	No figure
43	Australia	9.5M	1.8M	−81%
44	Tunisia	9.4M	2.0M	−79%
45	Belgium	9.3M	2.6M	−72%
46	Iran	9.1M	1.6M	−83%
47	Kuwait	8.6M	2.2M	−75%
48	Kazakhstan	8.5M	2.0M	−76%
49	Kyrgyzstan	8.5M	No figure
50	Latvia	8.3M	3.2M	−62%
51	Philippines	8.3M	1.5M	−82%
52	Andorra	8.2M	5.2M	−37%
53	Georgia	7.7M	1.5M	−80%
54	Sweden	7.6M	2.0M	−74%
55	Dominican Republic	7.5M	2.7M	−64%
56	Argentina	7.4M	No figure
57	Bahamas	7.3M	1.8M	−75%
58	Uzbekistan	6.7M	No figure
59	Cambodia	6.6M	1.3M	−80%
60	Albania	6.4M	2.7M	−59%
61	Brazil	6.4M	No figure
62	Lithuania	6.2M	2.3M	−63%
63	Estonia	6.1M	1.7M	−72%
64	Norway	5.9M	1.4M	−76%
65	Chile	5.4M	No figure
66	Jordan	5.4M	1.2M	−77%
67	Peru	5.3M	1.1M	−79%
68	Puerto Rico	4.9M	3.9M	−21%
69	Israel	4.9M	No figure
70	Laos	4.8M	886,400	−81%
71	Slovenia	4.7M	1.2M	−74%
72	Colombia	4.5M	1.4M	−69%
73	Brunei	4.4M	1.1M	−76%
74	Paraguay	4.4M	1.1M	−75%
75	Myanmar	4.4M	903,000	−79%
76	Cuba	4.3M	1.1M	−75%
77	Jamaica	4.2M	1.3M	−69%
78	Cyprus	4.1M	No figure
79	New Zealand	3.9M	996,000	−74%
80	Malta	3.5M	718,000	−80%
81	Oman	3.5M	869,000	−75%
82	Uruguay	3.5M	No figure
83	Costa Rica	3.4M	1.1M	−66%
84	Finland	3.3M	896,000	−73%
85	Azerbaijan	3.2M	796,000	−75%
86	El Salvador	2.6M	707,000	−73%
87	Guatemala	2.6M	594,000	−77%
88	Montenegro	2.5M	351,000	−86%
89	Panama	2.5M	647,000	−74%
90	Syria	2.4M	No figure
91	Algeria	2.4M	591,000	−75%
92	Cayman Islands	2.3M	660,000	−72%
93	Honduras	2.3M	669,000	−71%
94	Zimbabwe	2.3M	639,000	−72%
95	Iceland	2.2M	488,000	−78%
96	Qatar	2.1M	582,000	−73%
97	Ecuador	2.1M	No figure
98	U.S. Virgin Islands	2.1M	8.6M	+315%
99	Côte d'Ivoire	2.1M	668,000	−68%
100	Kenya	2.0M	No figure
101	Mozambique	2.0M	No figure
102	Sri Lanka	2.0M	540,000	−73%
103	Sint Maarten	2.0M	No figure
104	Aruba	2.0M	No figure
105	Lebanon	1.9M	No figure
106	San Marino	1.9M	No figure
107	Armenia	1.9M	375,000	−80%
108	Serbia	1.8M	446,000	−76%
109	Maldives	1.7M	555,000	−67%
110	Belize	1.7M	487,000	−71%
111	Guam	1.7M	328,000	−80%
112	Namibia	1.7M	187,100	−89%
113	Rwanda	1.6M	No figure
114	Turks and Caicos Islands	1.6M	370,400	−77%
115	Uganda	1.5M	473,000	−69%
116	Tanzania	1.5M	No figure
117	Nicaragua	1.5M	474,000	−67%
118	Mauritius	1.4M	316,000	−78%
119	Curaçao	1.3M	No figure
120	Zambia	1.3M	502,000	−60%
121	Bolivia	1.2M	323,300	−74%
122	Eswatini	1.2M	345,300	−72%
123	St. Lucia	1.2M	432,500	−65%
124	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1.2M	197,000	−84%
125	Nepal	1.2M	230,000	−81%
126	Lesotho	1.1M	No figure
127	St. Kitts and Nevis	1.1M	301,400	−73%
128	Luxembourg	1.0M	525,000	−50%
129	Antigua and Barbuda	1.0M	384,500	−63%
130	Cameroon	1.0M	No figure
131	Fiji	969,000	168,000	−83%
132	Barbados	966,000	No figure
133	Haiti	938,000	No figure
134	Togo	876,000	482,000	−45%
135	Ethiopia	812,000	518,000	−36%
136	Bermuda	805,000	51,400	−94%
137	Cabo Verde	758,000	180,000	−76%
137	North Macedonia	758,000	118,000	−84%
139	West Bank and Gaza	688,000	93,000	−86%
140	Mongolia	637,000	66,900	−89%
141	The Gambia	620,000	246,000	−60%
142	Grenada	526,000	217,000	−59%
143	Northern Mariana Islands	487,000	No figure
144	Madagascar	486,000	87,100	−82%
145	Trinidad and Tobago	480,000	141,000	−71%
146	Seychelles	428,000	124,500	−71%
147	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	392,000	No figure
148	Monaco	363,000	159,000	−56%
149	Benin	337,000	No figure
150	Bangladesh	323,000	No figure
151	Dominica	322,000	140,000	−57%
152	Bhutan	316,000	29,800	−91%
153	Guyana	315,000	86,400	−73%
154	British Virgin Islands	302,400	83,000	−73%
155	French Polynesia	300,000	89,400	−70%
156	Vanuatu	256,000	82,400	−68%
157	Angola	218,000	No figure
158	Mali	217,000	No figure
159	Papua New Guinea	211,000	39,000	−82%
160	Niger	192,000	85,000	−56%
161	Samoa	181,000	23,900	−87%
162	Moldova	174,000	29,000	−83%
163	Burkina Faso	143,000	67,000	−53%
164	New Caledonia	130,000	31,000	−76%
165	Liechtenstein	98,100	58,400	−40%
166	Palau	94,000	18,400	−80%
166	Tonga	94,000	No figure
168	Central African Republic	87,000	No figure
169	Chad	81,000	10,400	−87%
170	Timor-Leste	74,800	No figure
171	Sierra Leone	71,000	No figure
172	Guinea-Bissau	52,400	No figure
173	Comoros	45,100	7,000	−84%
174	Solomon Islands	28,900	4,400	−85%
175	American Samoa	19,200	900	−95%
176	Micronesia	18,000	No figure
177	Kiribati	12,000	No figure
178	Marshall Islands	6,100	No figure
179	Tuvalu	3,600	No figure

About these figures

Countries are ranked on 2019. The 2020 column shows each country's 2020 figure where the series has one, and the change shows how it compares with 2019.

Countries count arrivals differently: some count only overnight visitors (tourists), others count every non-resident arriving at the border, including same-day visitors, and some count guests at hotels. Where a country does not report overnight tourists, the series uses its count of all visitors, which can include same-day visitors, cruise passengers and crew.

Source: UN Tourism (UNWTO) data, published by the World Bank.

Select a country for its year-by-year history and chart.

Questions about these figures

Which country receives the most tourists?

In 2019, the last year before the pandemic, France had the most international arrivals: 217.9M. The top five were France (217.9M), United States (165.5M), China (162.5M), Spain (126.2M) and Mexico (97.4M). In 2020, France still had the most, with 117.1M. Because countries count arrivals differently, the ranking is a rough guide rather than a like-for-like comparison.

How much does tourism contribute to the global economy?

Counting its indirect effects, the World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that travel and tourism account for roughly a tenth of world GDP. For many island nations and developing countries, tourism is the main source of foreign currency and jobs.

Why does this ranking use 2019?

The latest figures in the World Bank series are for 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and only 132 of these 179 countries have one. Across the 132 countries with figures for both years, arrivals fell 67%. 2019 is the last year of normal international travel, so the ranking uses it and shows 2020 alongside.

Do all countries count tourists the same way?

No. Countries count arrivals differently: some count only overnight visitors (tourists), others count every non-resident arriving at the border, including same-day visitors, and some count guests at hotels. Countries with many same-day visitors from neighbouring countries can rank higher than their tourism industry alone would suggest.

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International Tourism, Arrivals · all countries · CSV

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