There are many people all over the world who make it a point to save some amount of money so they can go on vacations during their holiday breaks. Because of the cultural diversity, natural wonders and beauties and deep-seated history that they can find in a great number of places across the globe, these people do not mind spending their hard-earned money on these holiday trips. Based on data presented by the World Tourism Organization, here are the top 10 countries worldwide that tourists visit.
In 2007, the top 10 travel destinations of the world were led by France with almost 82 million tourists from across the globe. The country, for many years now, has kept its top spot position, surging ahead of Spain, which has been in the number two spot for a number of years. This is probably because France provides great diversity and beauty in their tourism offerings. The include heritage-rich cities like Paris, coastlines and mountain ranges along the Mediterranean Sea and in Brittany, vineyards as well as castles like Versailles. The tourist spots of France that are easily identified with are the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the museums Musee d’Orsay and Louvre.
As the second country among the top 10 travel destinations in the world, Spain also has its own charms that are not far behind from France. In fact, there are even a great number of people who might prefer this country among all the other tourist destinations in the whole world. In 2007, there were nearly 60 million tourists from all over the world who visited Spain, which is very popular as a summer holiday destination among Germans, Scandinavians, the French and the English people. The mild whole year climate of the country and its beautiful sandy beaches are among the major tourist-drawers of Spain. In fact, the northern and southern coasts of the country are perfect for summer vacations.
Of course, when it comes to tourism, the United States is really not that far behind in the list of the top 10 travel destinations, as it has always held the number three spot. The tourist attractions of the US include its festivals, museums, restaurants, sports, landmarks, historical buildings, gambling, amusement parks, galleries and outdoor recreations, among others. San Francisco with its Golden Gate Bridge, New York City with its Statue of Liberty, Chicago with its skyscrapers and Washington D.C. being the home of the White House are among the major cities that draw in the tourists to the U.S.
France, Spain and the U.S. share the acclaim of being among the top three tourist destinations across the globe. The remainder of the top ten are as follows: China, Italy, United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Turkey and Austria.