The United States was the global travel destination with the highest international tourism receipts in 2023. That year, inbound tourism receipts in the U.S. amounted to nearly 176 billion U.S. dollars. While this figure denoted a sharp annual increase, it remained below the figure from 2019, the year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Spain and the United Kingdom followed in the ranking in 2023, with around 92 billion and 74 billion U.S. dollars, respectively.
What are the most visited countries in the world?
While France ranked fourth based on international tourism receipts, it topped the list of the countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide, both before and after the impact of the pandemic. In 2023, France recorded 100 million arrivals by international travelers, while Spain and the United States followed in the ranking with over 85 million and 66 million arrivals, respectively.
What is the economic impact of travel and tourism worldwide?
As estimated, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide amounted to just under 10 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impacts of these industries. That year, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide exceeded 300 million.
