The table compares 9 distinct countries in terms of the number of tourist visitors in two different periods: 2009 and 2010.
Overall, France was the most visited country in both years despite recording no growth, whereas Hong Kong was the only country to record a decrease. Germany experienced by far the most significant growth, with Turkey and China also showing substantial increases; however, the figures for the US, Spain, the UK, and Italy witnessed a slight rise.
Focusing initially on the first five countries, France was the most popular country in 2009, attracting 76 million visitors, followed by the US with 66 million. Spain and the UK both recorded 55 million, while Italy registered 44 million. By 2010, almost all countries had experienced slight increases, with the exception of France, which saw no change. The figure for the US rose to 67 million, whereas Spain, the UK, and Italy reached 56, 57, and 45 million, respectively. These represented minimal rises of 1.5%, 1.8%, 3.6%, and 2.3%.
By contrast, the remaining countries witnessed more considerable changes. Turkey’s visitor numbers increased from 33 to 45 million, a 33% rise, whilst China’s figure rose from 22 to 34 million, representing an increase of 55%. Germany saw the most dramatic growth, with the number more than doubling from 11 to 23 million, a 109% jump. Finally, Hong Kong was the only country to see a drop, with numbers falling from 10 to 9 million, an 11% decline.