Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region

The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide increased across all regions in 2023 compared to the previous year. That said, apart from the Middle East, inbound arrivals remained below the figures recorded before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Europe reported the highest volume of inbound travelers over the period considered, with around 708 million arrivals in 2023.

What are the most visited countries by inbound travelers?

With Europe being the most visited region by inbound travelers, it does not surprise that two European destinations top the ranking of 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 receipt 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 10 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, nearly caching up with pre-pandemic levels. 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 300 million that year.