Did you ever wonder which country has the most visitors?

By David McClelland

I see so many foreign tourists here that I had assumed that the United Sates (US) got more visitors than other countries. My research revealed that I was incorrect. The most recent tourist figures are for 2009 when France had the most visitors, about 74 million. The US was 2nd with almost 55 million. Spain was 3rd with just over 52 million and China was 4^th with almost 51 million.

To round out the top ten countries that attract tourists: Italy was 5^th with 43 million, the United Kingdom 6^th with 28 million, Turkey 7^th with 25 million, Germany 8^th with 24 million, Malaysia 9^th with 23.6 million and Mexico 10^th with 21.5 million.

In just the top ten tourist countries, visitors totaled over 397 million in 2009. In France, the Eiffel Tower in Paris is its most famous sight and the largest tourist attraction.

I found several of the countries in the top ten to be surprising. I know that China is attracting more and more attention each year, but to learn that Turkey was the 7^th most visited and that Malaysia was 9^th, were unexpected. I also thought that Canada would make the Top 10 list. Were there any surprises in the Top 10 List for you?