Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2024, by region

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.