1.4 Billion Overseas Travelers Last Year... The Country Visited by 100 Million People Is 'I Nara'

Last year, it was estimated that 1.4 billion people worldwide traveled abroad. This is considered to have virtually recovered to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic (global pandemic) level.

According to the 'UN Tourism Barometer' released on the 22nd (local time) by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), approximately 1.4 billion international travelers (based on overnight visitors) were recorded worldwide in 2024. This figure represents an 11% increase compared to the previous year and is 99% of the number of international travelers in 2019, just before the pandemic.

UNWTO explained, "It has virtually recovered to the pre-pandemic level," calling it "the year of international tourism recovery." Last year, the tourism industry's revenue totaled $1.9 trillion (about 2731 trillion KRW), with tourists spending an average of over $1,000 (about 1.44 million KRW) per person.

By continent, more than half of the 1.4 billion travelers, 747 million, visited Europe. UNWTO noted, "Considering that travel to related regions is difficult due to Russia's war in Ukraine, the scale of European travelers is very impressive." Following that, the Asia-Pacific region had 316 million visitors, the Americas 213 million, the Middle East 95 million, and Africa 74 million visitors respectively.

The Eiffel Tower, a symbol of Paris, France. Pixabay

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CNN reported that the most popular country for travel last year was France. The French Tourism Board announced that 100 million people visited France last year. Throughout the year, major events such as the Paris Olympics, the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings attracted many tourists.

Spain ranked second after France, attracting 98 million travelers, 2 million fewer than France. Other countries that made significant advances in the tourism industry last year included Qatar, Andorra, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Albania, and El Salvador. In particular, the number of international travelers visiting Qatar increased by 137% compared to the previous year, coinciding with improvements in tourism infrastructure such as airports.

However, as the number of tourists surged, overtourism caused various problems, leading to anti-tourism actions in some famous tourist destinations. In Barcelona, Spain, residents sprayed water guns at tourists and held several intense anti-tourism protests. Large-scale protests calling for a "tourism halt" also occurred in the Canary Islands.

Venice, Italy. Pixabay

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In Italy, major tourist cities such as Venice and Florence banned large group tours, and nationwide bans on nighttime swimming and reserving beach spots were implemented. UNWTO advised, "In 2025, balancing growth and sustainability will become important," recommending to "discover lesser-known travel destinations."

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