The table compares the numbers of international tourist arrivals, measured in millions, in nine countries in 2009 and 2010, together with the percentage change over the period.
Overall, France recorded the most popular destination, while Germany experienced by far the fastest growth in tourist arrivals. Most countries welcomed more international visitors in 2010 than 2009, whereas Hong Kong was the only country to record the decline.
France attracted the largest number of international visitors in both years, receiving 76 million tourists in 2009 and the same figure in 2010. The USA ranked second, with arrivals rising slightly from 66 million to 67 million ( +1.5%). Similarly, Spain and the UK experienced modest increases, from 55 to 56 million, and 55 to 57 million, respectively. Italy showed a small rise, with visitor numbers increasing from 44 to 45 million.
More substantial growth was observed in the remaining countries. Turkey saw a remarkable 33% increase, with international arrivals climbing from 33 to 45 million. China also performed strongly, welcoming 34 million tourists in 2010 compared with 22 million a year earlier, representing a 55% rise. The most dramatic growth occurred in Germany, where the number of tourists more than doubled from 11 to 23 million, equivalent to an increase of 109%. By contrast, Hong Kong was the only destination to experience a fall, with arrivals declining from 10 to 9 million, a decrease of 11%.