Number of inbound tourist arrivals in selected European destinations 2019-2021

Due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of international tourist arrivals to the selected European destinations declined sharply in 2021 compared to 2019. While Paris and London welcomed around 22 million inbound travelers in 2019, this figure fell dramatically in 2021. That year, Istanbul topped the ranking among the selected destinations, with roughly nine million inbound arrivals. Meanwhile, Paris and London recorded 6.7 million and 2.7 million international arrivals in 2021, respectively.

What are the most visited countries by international tourists?

Both before and after the health crisis, France was the country with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. However, while international arrivals peaked at nearly 91 million in 2019, they totaled less than 50 million in the second year of the pandemic. On the other hand, the United States, ranking sixth by inbound arrivals, was the country with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide in 2021.

How did COVID-19 impact international tourism worldwide?

As countries across the globe enforced travel restrictions to limit the spread of the virus, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide dropped to under 410 million in 2020, its lowest point since 1989. Although this figure increased by nine percent in 2021, it stayed well below pre-pandemic levels. Overall, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP went down by nearly 40 percent in 2021 compared to 2019.