The table shows the number of tourists to nine countries along with percentage changes in 2009 and 2010. Overall, almost all nations studied experienced an influx in visitors, with the exception of Hong Kong and France, which either witnessed a decline or no change. The most pronounced rise was recorded in Turkey, China and especially Germany, but it was France that was a more popular destination for visitors in both years. Notably, Hong Kong ranked among the least visited countries.
Turkey, China and Germany saw a significant surge in popularity over the course of a year. Germany, in particular, reported the biggest change of +109% from 11 million to 23 million, while China’s percentage growth was roughly half that of Germany (+55%), with the tourist numbers growing from 22 to 34 million. Turkey experienced a slightly higher number of visitors, at 33 million in 2009 and 45 million in 2010, with a +33% increase.
The remaining countries that saw a rise in tourists, on the other hand, already boasted significantly more tourists despite minimal changes. Among these, the US stood out by hosting 66 and 67 million tourists in 2009 and 2010, respectively, marking a +1.5% rise. A similar percentage change (+1.8%) was observed in Spain, where the figure rose from 55 to 56 million. The UK, which also had a similar number of visitors as Spain in 2009, showed a more substantial increase to 57 million (+3.6%).
Conversely, France and Hong Kong were outliers in the chart in that they followed a different trajectory or remained unchanged. France remained the top destination for tourists, as the country boasted 76 million visitors in both years – the highest in the chart. Meanwhile, Hong Kong exhibited a noticeable decrease (-11%) in tourism, falling from 10 to 9 million.