Austria ranks 13th among the most visited countries in the world

Austria recorded 32.2 million arrivals last year and ranks 13th. France ranks first with 102 million tourist arrivals.

A ranking provides insight into which countries are trending or still popular—and also which are less in demand than before. The latest list is based on figures for 2024. It shows: Global travel enthusiasm is back after the pandemic. Worldwide, buzzwords like flight shame don't seem to play a major role. Hundreds of millions of people are flying.

France has led the list of most-visited countries for decades, but Spain is hot on its neighbor's heels. But which countries are still in the top 20? And where does Germany stand? The countdown:

India ranks 20th, with 20.6 million international arrivals. The Netherlands welcomed 21.3 million visitors. According to these statistics, Hong Kong, China, which is still managed independently, ranks 18th. Malaysia and Portugal, respectively, follow in 17th and 16th place.

15th place goes to rising star Saudi Arabia, which recorded 29.7 million arrivals from abroad, compared to only 17.5 million in 2019. The United Arab Emirates is in 14th place.

Austria recorded 32.2 million arrivals last year (up 4.2 percent compared to the previous year) and is in 13th place. Twelfth place goes to Thailand (35.5 million; up 26.3 percent), and eleventh place goes to Greece (36 million; up 9.8 percent).

The top ten follow, with UN Tourism emphasizing: "In fact, neither China nor the United Kingdom has published data on international tourist arrivals for 2024." They are awaiting the two countries to publish this information in the coming weeks. Their provisional rankings—eighth and seventh—are based on estimates.

The Land of the Rising Sun—and especially Tokyo—has long had a reputation for being an expensive travel destination. But the weakness of the yen has made holidays in Japan affordable for many—and this was clearly evident last year. After 25 million visitors in 2023, there was suddenly a 47 percent increase—and 36.9 million foreign tourists. It was a completely new experience for the Japanese, suddenly becoming a kind of budget-friendly travel destination.

With 37.5 million visitors (an increase of 7.8 percent), Germany makes it into the top ten most-visited countries (although the number is still lower than in 2019). The Federal Republic scores highly for its diversity for city and cultural travelers – from Hamburg to Munich, Cologne to Berlin, Heidelberg to Dresden, and Lübeck to Weimar. Famous events like the Oktoberfest in Munich, museums, hearty food, and historic buildings like Cologne Cathedral, Wartburg Castle, and Neuschwanstein Castle delight visitors.

Although no official data is available yet, the United Kingdom ranks eighth, based on estimates. There were probably around 39 million visitors – London alone attracts many fans, while historic cities such as Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, and Bath are also popular.

Although no official data is available yet, based on estimates, China is expected to rank seventh. Highlights for visitors include the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, and, of course, the diverse gastronomy.

Travel influencers have discovered this diverse country as a hotspot. Whether it's the fascinating metropolis of Mexico City or its stunning beaches, Mexico is a hot spot, even though anti-tourism protests are a frequent occurrence there. 45 million (up 7.4 percent) traveled there last year.

Bella Italia: It should come as no surprise that Italy, with its cuisine, the hills of Tuscany, and the mountains of the Dolomites, is one of the most visited countries in the world. 57.7 million people visited last year (compared to almost 65 million in 2019).

There are numerous cities worth visiting: Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, Rimini, Pisa, Naples, Bologna, Bergamo, Genoa, Sanremo, Ravenna, Verona, Trieste, Como, Palermo - to name just a few.

The country between Europe and Asia is popular, attracting 60.6 million visitors (an increase of 9.8 percent).

Popular attractions include the stunning Istanbul, one of the most exciting cities in the world.

The USA has long been revered—and glorified—as a land of unlimited opportunity. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas are places of longing. 72.4 million arrivals from abroad were recorded in 2024. However, in 2019, there were still 79.4 million visitors.

President Donald Trump's immigration policy, which doesn't exactly appear to be a welcoming culture, is likely to accelerate the downward trend in 2025. Who wants to go there if they might be turned away at the border?

A vibrant country with cities such as Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Málaga, Granada and San Sebastián - and popular islands such as Mallorca, Ibiza, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Tourism is booming, but recently there have been frequent demonstrations against so-called overtourism. 93.8 million visitors from abroad were counted in 2024, around ten million more than in the pre-coronavirus year of 2019.

Vive la France: There were approximately 102 million international tourist arrivals in 2024 (an increase of two percent compared to 2023). The capital city of Paris alone—glorified as the city of love and traditionally a center of fine dining—is a magnet. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and Versailles are just outside the city gates. The 2024 Olympic Games and the Paralympics also took place in Paris.

Other French attractions include Lyon, the Loire Valley castles, and Marseille. The Côte d'Azur, with Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, and Nice, is considered the cradle of tourism. Tourism was, so to speak, invented in France. The country remains the number one tourist destination.