Band 9: The line graph below shows the number of overseas tourists (in millions) who visited France, Spain, and Japan between 1990 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The line graph illustrates the number of international tourists, measured in millions, who visited France, Spain and Japan between 1990 and 2020.

Overall, France and Spain experienced a consistent increase in the number of overseas visitors over the period, whereas Japan showed a gradual decline, following a completely different trend from the other two countries.

In 1990, France attracted about 45 million foreign tourists, the highest among the three nations. This figure rose steadily to around 75 million by 2015 and peaked at approximately 82 million in 2020. Spain, on the other hand, started with 30 million visitors and followed a similar upward trajectory, surpassing 60 million by 2010 and reaching 75 million in 2020, almost closing the gap with France.

By contrast, Japan’s pattern diverged notably. The country welcomed around 40 million tourists in 1990 and experienced a slight rise to 43 million by 2000. However, the number began to decline thereafter, falling to around 34 million by 2020. Unlike France and Spain, which benefited from strong tourism growth, Japan’s appeal to foreign travellers weakened progressively over the three decades.