The table compares the number of international tourist arrivals to nine countries in 2009 and 2010, together with the percentage change over this one-year period.
Overall, France remained the most popular destination in both years, while most countries experienced growth in visitor numbers. In contrast, Hong Kong was the only country to record a decline. The most significant increases were seen in Germany, China, and Turkey.
In 2009, France received 76 million international visitors, and this figure remained unchanged in 2010. The United States saw a modest rise from 66 million to 67 million, representing an increase of 1.5%. Similarly, Spain and Italy experienced small growth, with visitor numbers rising by 1.8% and 2.3% respectively. The UK showed a slightly stronger increase, climbing from 55 million to 57 million visitors.
More noticeable growth occurred in Turkey and China. Tourist arrivals in Turkey rose sharply from 33 million to 45 million, a 33% increase, while China saw an even larger rise of 55%, reaching 34 million in 2010. Germany recorded the highest percentage growth, more than doubling from 11 million to 23 million. By contrast, visitor numbers in Hong Kong fell slightly from 10 million to 9 million, a decrease of 11%.