The short answer: France, still
France is the most visited country in the world, with 102 million international tourist arrivals in 2025. That's roughly one and a half visitors for every person living in France. It also set a spending record: international visitors brought in €77.5 billion, 9% more than in 2024, according to figures reported by Campus France.
The more interesting story is further down the table. Spain is now only about 5 million arrivals behind France, after its own record 96.8 million visitors in 2025, as reported by Spain's statistics office, INE. The United States, in third place, went the other way, with international arrivals down 5.5%. And Japan grew so fast that it now receives more visitors than several countries ranked above it on the latest official list.
Globally, UN Tourism reports that international arrivals rose 4.7% in 2025. Growth has slowed sharply in 2026, which we cover further down.
The official ranking by international arrivals
UN Tourism publishes the only ranking that uses the same measure for every country, but it runs about 18 months behind. The chart shows its latest complete edition, covering 2024. It counts overnight international visitors, so same-day border crossings aren't included.
UN Tourism, International Tourism Highlights 2025 edition, via Wikipedia · top 15 countries, 2024.
What 2025 national figures tell us
While we wait for UN Tourism's 2025 ranking, several countries have already released their own totals. They don't all count visitors the same way, for example in how they treat citizens living abroad, so use them to see direction of travel rather than to rank countries precisely.
Two things stand out. Japan's 15.8% jump took it to 42.7 million, more than the UK or Germany had in 2024. And the two biggest decliners, the United States and Thailand, both have reasons that are more about policy and perception than about what they offer visitors.
What puts a country at the top
Look at the top 15 and a pattern appears. The countries with the most visitors usually have at least two of three things: neighbors who can reach them cheaply by road, rail or short flight; a very wide range of things to see; and prices that feel fair to their main source markets. Here's how that plays out region by region.
Europe: the power of neighbors
Five of the top ten are European, and geography does a lot of the work. France borders eight countries, so millions of its visitors arrive by car or train, including many travelers passing through on their way to Spain, Italy or the Alps. It also rewards repeat visits: many people come back for a different region each time. In 2025, arrivals from Germany rose 9% and from the US by more than 10%.
Spain runs on sunshine and budget airlines. Its three biggest markets in 2025 were the UK (19.1 million visitors), France (12.8 million) and Germany (12.0 million). Catalonia alone received 20.1 million international tourists, and the Balearic and Canary Islands 15.7 million each. That volume is causing friction: locals have protested against overtourism, and Barcelona has doubled its tourist tax.
Italy (57.7 million in 2024) has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country, and the 2025 Jubilee in Rome and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina gave it two big back-to-back events. The UK (41.7 million) and Germany (37.5 million) round out Europe's top five. London is one of the world's most visited cities, and Germany draws a large share of business and trade-fair travelers. The UK's own inbound statistics are currently labeled "in development" after a change of method, so year-to-year comparisons need care.
The Americas: a tale of two neighbors
The United States has everything from Manhattan to Yellowstone, and it usually earns more from international visitors than any other country. But 2025 was a bad year. Total international arrivals fell 5.5% to 68.3 million, only 86% of the pre-pandemic level, and overseas visitors (excluding Canada and Mexico) fell 2.5% to 34.3 million, per figures reported by Hotel News Resource. Industry figures quoted by TravelPulse pointed to higher visa and ESTA fees, travel bans, worries at the border and political tension with Canada.
Mexico grew instead. It set a record of 47.8 million overnight international tourists in 2025, up 6.1%, and on top of those came more than 50 million same-day visitors, mostly crossing from the US by land or arriving on cruise ships.
Asia: fast movers
China (64.9 million in 2024) is the story of reopening. Arrivals nearly doubled in 2024 after the pandemic, helped by visa-free entry that had expanded to 50 countries by 2025. More than 30 million foreigners entered without a visa that year, according to CGTN. Be careful with China's own headline figure of over 150 million inbound trips, as it includes visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Hong Kong (45.0 million) ranks so high mainly because of short trips from mainland China. Japan is the fastest riser: a weak yen and huge interest pushed arrivals to 42.7 million in 2025, and the government's target is 60 million by 2030. Thailand went the other way, falling 7.2% to about 33 million in 2025.
Türkiye: the bridge between regions
Türkiye draws both Europeans and Russians, with Istanbul for city breaks and the Mediterranean coast for beach holidays. Its biggest markets in 2025 were Russia (6.9 million), Germany (6.75 million) and the UK (4.27 million). Foreign arrivals edged up to a record 52.8 million, or 63.9 million including Turkish citizens living abroad, and tourism revenue reached $65.2 billion, as reported by Daily Sabah.
One to watch: Greece
Greece (36.0 million in 2024) keeps setting records. Tourism receipts reached €23.6 billion in 2025, up 9.4%, according to Greek City Times, and interest has jumped again after The Odyssey was filmed partly in the Peloponnese.
2026 has been a slower year
After a strong 2025, global travel has lost momentum. UN Tourism's September 2026 barometer counted 690 million international arrivals from January to June, just 0.4% more than a year earlier, and the second quarter was slightly down. The Middle East took the biggest hit, with arrivals down 22% amid conflict and flight disruption. Africa (+4%) and Europe (+3%) held up best.
UN Tourism has cut its full-year forecast to growth of 1% to 2%, down from 3% to 4%, pointing to high oil prices, uneven consumer confidence and inflation. For the ranking, that probably means:
• France and Spain stay first and second, since European demand is still growing.
• The US gap behind them widens if overseas arrivals keep falling.
• Japan keeps climbing toward the top ten.
• Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both fast growers before 2026, are likely to show declines this year.
Reading the numbers carefully
Arrival counts are useful, but they're not a measure of how good a destination is. A few quirks explain why some countries rank higher than you'd expect.
Every entry counts. If you visit France three times in a year, you count as three arrivals, and a road trip through three countries counts once in each.
Overnight stays only. The UN figures exclude same-day visitors. That keeps Mexico's number at 47.8 million, even though counting day-trippers from the US would roughly double it.
Arrivals and spending are different. The United States usually earns the most from international tourism despite ranking third for arrivals, because visitors typically stay longer and travel from further away.
Methods vary. Some countries count people at the border, others count hotel check-ins or use surveys. That's why rankings from different sources don't always agree.
If you're choosing where to go, a high arrivals figure mostly tells you how busy a place will be. For quieter options, see our guide to the least visited countries in the world.
Frequently asked questions
Which country gets the most tourists in the world?
France, with 102 million international tourist arrivals in 2025. It has held the top spot for decades.
Could Spain overtake France?
Possibly within a few years. Spain received 96.8 million international tourists in 2025, about 5 million fewer than France, and has been growing faster.
Which Asian country gets the most visitors?
In UN Tourism's 2024 figures, China led Asia with 64.9 million arrivals. Japan is growing fastest, reaching a record 42.7 million in 2025.
Why did fewer tourists visit the United States in 2025?
Industry experts pointed to higher visa and ESTA fees, travel bans affecting several countries, concerns about border checks and strained relations with Canada, traditionally one of the largest source markets.
Is the most visited country the same as the one that earns most from tourism?
No. France has the most arrivals, but the United States usually earns the most from international visitors.