Post the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe has emerged as a tourist favourite. With international tourism figures surging in 2023 and early 2024, Europe, for sure, has regained its position has world’s leading tourist destination. But what place in Europe are these travellers flocking to? Let’s find out.

According to a report by Travel and Tour World, France leads the global tourism revival by attracting a record number of visitors in 2023. Additionally, countries like Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Austria have also witnessed unprecedented growth, with an influx in tourist arrivals. New flight routes across these destinations are further boosting accessibility and drawing more international travelers.

In 2023, a total of 1.3 billion international tourists visited Europe. As compared to 2022 and 2021, there is a 33.4% and 112.2% growth respectively. This resurgence reflects the increased demand for travel post-pandemic.

According to the same report by Travel and Tour World, France remains the leader with 100 million visitors. Spain follows with 85.2 million visitors. Italy attracted 57.2 million tourists. These places were followed by Germany, Greece, and Austria.

Overtourism In Europe

The increased number of tourists has been hampering daily operations, locals claim. Many European countries have started coming up with measures to tackle the problem of overtourism. For instance, protests against excessive tourism have erupted in other popular destinations like Venice and Barcelona.

Switzerland has also come up with multiple ways to cope with overtourism. One of its most iconic spots, Alpine lake, has limited tourist access. Switzerland’s tourism agency recently said that it has been trying to even out the flow of holidaymakers throughout the year to protect the Alpine country from the risks of excessive tourism. While tourism happens to be a significant economic driver for Switzerland, there are multiple downsides to it. With this step, and multiple others, it seems like Switzerland is keen on managing tourist influx.