Spain, the Second Most Visited Country in the World
The latest data compilation from the World Tourism Organization (WTO) indicates that international travel increased by 7% in 2017 compared to the previous year, marking the highest growth recorded since 2010.
International tourist arrivals to other countries totaled 1.323 billion in 2017, approximately 84 million more than the previous year, setting a new record. The tourism sector has experienced uninterrupted expansion for eight consecutive years. Specifically, the growth in 2017 was the highest since 2010 and was led by the regions of Europe and Africa, where arrivals increased by 8% and 9%, respectively.
The excellent results of 2017 are primarily due to the sustained demand for travel to destinations across all regions of the world, including the recovery experienced by those places that have faced security issues in recent years.
Currently, travel is in demand from virtually all parts of the world. Major source markets include Europe and Asia, but the recovery of significant growing economies like Brazil and Russia has also benefited all types of destinations, whether advanced or emerging.
On another note, the report highlights China as the leading source of tourists worldwide, with international tourism spending reaching $258 billion in 2017. This represents nearly one-fifth of the total global tourism expenditure in 2017, estimated at $1.3 trillion, which is about $94 billion more than in 2016.
Europe Leading in International Destinations
Europe is, without a doubt, the region that receives the most travelers, accounting for 51% of the total. Next are Asia and the Pacific, with 24%; the Americas, with 16%; Africa, with 5%; and the Middle East with 4%. Moreover, regarding growth, Europe and Africa stand out as both have grown above the average set by all regions.
If we delve a little deeper and focus on countries, we see that France is the country that welcomed the most travelers in 2017, with 87 million people. In second place is Spain, followed by the top 5 comprising the United States, China, and Italy. They are followed by Mexico, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, and Thailand, the latter closing the list of the ten most important.
Additionally, available data from early 2018 confirm the continued consolidated growth of international tourism, as travel experienced a year-on-year increase of 6% between January and April.