The table given illustrates the number of international tourist arrivals in eight countries in 2009 and 2010, as well as the proportional change between the two years.
Overall, France recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in both years, while Hong Kong had the lowest figure. Additionally, Germany experienced the most significant increase, whereas France saw no change in its number of visitors.
Regarding the European countries, France retained its leading position, with 76 million international visitors in both years. Besides, Spain and the UK each attracted 55 million tourists in 2009, before increasing slightly to 56 and 57 million respectively in 2010. Similarly, Italy saw a modest rise from 44 million to 45 million. By contrast, Turkey experienced a much more substantial increase, with arrivals rising from 33 million to 45 million, or about one third. Germany recorded the most dramatic growth, more than doubling its tourist arrivals to 23 million in 2010.
Turning to the non-European countries, the US retainedd its rank as the second most visited country by foreigners, with a slight increase from 66 to 67 million. In Asia, China witnessed a considerable growth, as its figure rose from 22 million to 34 million, representing a 55% increase. Hong Kong was the only country to experience a decline, with tourist arrivals falling from 10 million to 9 million.