France has been the world’s top tourism destination for years, but despite record and growing numbers, but a new study suggests that by 2040 it will be overtaken by Spain.
A study by Deloitte and Google projects that Spain will see 110 million visitors annually by 2040; last year’s total was 96.8 million international tourists last year. France, which set a new record last year at 102 million, is projected to rise to 105 million by 2040.
From 1975 to 2019, the study found, the number of global inbound arrivals doubled about every 15 years, reaching 1.5 billion before the pandemic put a crimp in the rise. It projects that the total will hit 2.4 billion by 2040.
The top five destination countries have generally held their same positions since 2010: France, Spain, the U.S., China and Italy.
