France Leads Global Tourism Arrivals as UN Tourism Ranks Most-Visited Countries for 2026
For decades, France has topped the list of international tourist destinations, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors, according to UN Tourism statistics. Its allure stems from various factors, including transit through its airports and iconic landmarks such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre-Dame, which reopened in December 2024 following a fire in 2019. Other attractions include Disneyland Paris, the Côte d'Azur, Provence, and winter resorts like Chamonix. Spain follows in second place with approximately 85 million visitors, drawn by its beaches and cultural heritage. The U.S. attracts tens of millions, largely due to Orlando's theme parks. Italy sees around 57 million, while Turkey has about 55 million. Other notable countries include Mexico with over 40 million, the U.K. with roughly 38 million, Germany at around 35 million, Greece exceeding 30 million, and Austria nearing 30 million.
Key facts
- France has ranked first in international arrivals for decades, drawing close to 100 million foreign visitors in recent reporting years
- Spain ranks second worldwide with roughly 85 million international tourist arrivals
- Italy receives about 57 million international visitors annually and holds more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country
- Venice began charging day-trippers an entry fee on selected peak dates in 2024
- Turkey takes in roughly 55 million international visitors a year, with Istanbul Airport opening in 2018
- Mexico draws more than 40 million international visitors annually, the majority from the U.S.
- The U.K. receives roughly 38 million international visits in a typical year
- Austria draws close to 30 million international visitors, with Innsbruck hosting the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976
Entities
Artists
- Antoni Gaudí
- Frida Kahlo
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Ludwig II
Institutions
- UN Tourism
- UNWTO
- Louvre
- Disneyland Paris
- Walt Disney World
- Universal Orlando
- Prado
- Reina Sofía
- Thyssen-Bornemisza
- Sagrada Família
- Park Güell
- UNESCO
- HBO
- British Museum
- National Gallery
- Tate Modern
- Edinburgh International Festival
- Fringe
- Hannover Messe
- Frankfurt Book Fair
- Gamescom
- Museum Island
- Deutsche Bahn
- ÖBB
- Renfe
- Ryanair
- easyJet
- Eurostar
- Vienna Philharmonic
- Salzburg Festival
- National Museum of Anthropology
- Frida Kahlo Museum
- Acropolis Museum
- U.S. State Department
- Quartz
Locations
- France
- Paris
- Marne-la-Vallée
- Côte d'Azur
- Provence
- Loire Valley
- Bordeaux
- Chamonix
- Trois Vallées
- French Alps
- Mont Saint-Michel
- Normandy
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Strasbourg
- London
- Brussels
- Orly Airport
- Spain
- Balearic Islands
- Canary Islands
- Mallorca
- Ibiza
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- San Sebastián
- Andalusia
- Seville
- Valencia
- Málaga
- Alicante
- Palma
- United States
- New York
- Manhattan
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Orlando
- Yellowstone
- Yosemite
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Hawaii
- Canada
- Mexico
- India
- Brazil
- Nigeria
- Italy
- Rome
- Venice
- Florence
- Amalfi
- Sardinia
- Sicily
- Naples
- Vatican City
- Tuscany
- Dolomites
- Taormina
- Milan
- Bologna
- Turkey
- Istanbul
- Bosphorus
- Antalya
- Turquoise Coast
- Cappadocia
- Göreme
- Ephesus
- Pamukkale
- Greece
- Athens
- Delphi
- Olympia
- Knossos
- Crete
- Santorini
- Mykonos
- Rhodes
- Corfu
- Naxos
- Paros
- Piraeus
- Aegean Sea
- Ionian Sea
- Germany
- Frankfurt
- Cologne
- Hannover
- Düsseldorf
- Berlin
- Munich
- Bavaria
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Hamburg
- Mannheim
- Upper Middle Rhine Valley
- Theresienwiese
- Bernauer Strasse
- East Side Gallery
- United Kingdom
- Edinburgh
- Bath
- Scottish Highlands
- Lake District
- Canary Wharf
- Austria
- Vienna
- Tyrol
- Vorarlberg
- Salzburg
- St. Anton am Arlberg
- Kitzbühel
- Ischgl
- Innsbruck
- Schönbrunn Palace
- Hofburg
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Vienna State Opera
- Musikverein
- South Carolina
- Gulf
- East Asia
- Scandinavia
- Netherlands
- Russia
Sources
- Quartz —