UN Tourism: Greece in Top 10 Most Visited Destinations in 2023

Photo source: Develop Athens

Greece has made it into the Top 10 most visited destinations in the world, according to data released this month by UNTourism.

More specifically, Greece moved up from 13^th spot to 9^th on the list. The most visited destination in 2023 according to UNTourism was France with 100 million international arrivals, followed by Spain (85 million), the US (66 million), Italy (57 million), and Turkey (55 million).

Completing the list were Mexico, the UK, Germany, Greece, and Austria. Greece welcomed over 30 million tourists in 2023 who generated 20.6 billion euros marking a 16.5 percent year-on-year increase over 2022.

 The report also presents the world’s top spenders in 2023. Leading the way Chinese travelers spent 196.5 billion dollars for travel abroad last year. Next on the list were travelers from the US with 150 billion dollars, Germany (112 billion dollar), the UK (110 billion dollars), and the France (49 billion dollars).

In terms of international tourism receipts, travelers from the US led the way generating 176 billion dollars in 2023, followed by tourists from Spain (92 billion dollars), the UK (74 billion dollars), France (69 billion dollars), and Italy (56 billion dollars).

Among countries marking significant gains: the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

Looking ahead, UNTourism forecasts a full recovery in 2024 with arrivals up by 2 percent over 2019 levels, driven by strong demand, enhanced air connectivity, and the ongoing recovery of major Asian markets, particularly China.