How big is tourism in Europe?

Europe is the global leader in international tourism, accounting for roughly 60 percent of international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2022. The growth rate of inbound tourism in the region accelerated in the 2010s, with Europe reporting a peak of more than 740 million inbound visitors in 2019.



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The number of international tourist arrivals in Europe bounced back in 2022, following a sharp drop with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the significant annual increase, inbound tourist arrivals in the region remained below pre-pandemic levels, totaling roughly 595 million in 2022.

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Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, Europe remained the region with the highest number of inbound tourism arrivals worldwide, with around 595 million arrivals in 2022. Comparatively, there were more than 150 million international tourist arrivals in the Americas that year.

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Mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain is the second most visited country in Europe.

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The ten most visited countries in the world are France, Mexico, the US, Italy, Spain, Hungary, China, Croatia, Turkey, and Denmark. France is the most visited country in the world with 117,109,000 international tourists, thanks to its rich history and iconic landmarks.

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Spain is an established tourism market in Europe – the region with the most tourist arrivals worldwide – and globally. In 2022, Spain registered more than 100 million international visitors, recovering by 187.2 percent and 102.6 percent versus 2020 and 2021, respectively.

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The most visited countries in Europe
  • France. Annual visitors: 89.4 million. ...
  • Spain. Annual visitors: 82.7 million. ...
  • Italy. Annual visitors: 62.1 million. ...
  • Turkey. Annual visitors: 45.7 million. ...
  • Germany. Annual visitors: 38.8 million. ...
  • United Kingdom. Annual visitors: 36.3 million. ...
  • Austria. Annual visitors: 30.8 million. ...
  • Greece.


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Liechtenstein: For quiet mountain exploring
This petite sliver of a country sits nestled in the mountains between Switzerland and Austria. Being so small it has no airport of its own, but access via road or rail from surrounding countries is a breeze. Despite this, it's Europe's least visited country.

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Most people choose to visit the country because of its charming artsy atmosphere. Due to the high demand, cultural tourism covers 52.8% of tourism revenues in Spain. In addition, Spain follows the contemporary art market up close.

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The tourism industry is a vital part of the EU's economy and accounts for 10% of its GDP, which is why the EU is committed to reviving this sector.

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TOP 5 EU COUNTRIES DEPENDENT ON TOURISM
  • #1 Greece. The front-runner of countries dependent on tourism is Greece with its 6000 islands. ...
  • #2 Portugal. By a clear margin, Portugal comes second. ...
  • #3 Austria. The country that generates the third-highest share of GDP through tourism and travel is Austria. ...
  • #4 Spain. ...
  • #5 Italy.


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Tourism in the economy. Tourism is one of the cornerstones of the Spanish economy and an outstanding driver of economic and social development. In 2017 it accounted for 11.8% of GDP and in 2018 sustained 13.5% of employment (or 2.6 million direct jobs).

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Europe is Rich in Art and Culture Europe is one of the finest lands to explore art and culture. Famous destinations such as Italy is known for having more art pieces per square metre than any other country in the world, wheras destinations such as Musee du Louvre comprises more thn 35000 pieces of art for display!

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Ireland. Countless global reports have continually dubbed the people of Ireland as some of the friendliest and most welcoming to visitors in the world, and our readers feel the same, voting it into the top spot for the friendliest countries in Europe once again.

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The Least-Visited Country in the World: Tuvalu According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the remote Pacific island country Tuvalu is the least-visited country globally.

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Leader in Holiday and Leisure Tourism
Spain is the 2nd leading tourism brand in the world. It is the 3rd country in terms of number of tourists per year. Spanish airports receive more than 230 million passengers every year. Spanish ports receive 8.6 million cruise passengers every year.

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The tourism industry is an important engine of the Spanish economy and employment (2.5 million jobs).

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