Some countries are economic powerhouses bringing in millions of tourists to do business locally while others are pristine gems which draw in adventure-seekers and nature-lovers. Whether it be a country filled with thermal lakes or a tiny city-state with one of the world’s top economies, here we’ve dug up the most visited countries in the world according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) 2015 report. All numbers are reported arrivals for the year 2014. Going from only 25 million international tourists in 1950 to 1,133 million in 2014, people are traveling more than ever and for reasons from business to marathon-tourism to adventure-tourism to more. Check out which global hot spots have made it onto our list of the 25 Most Visited Countries in the World. Despite the destruction caused by World War II, Poland has preserved and rebuilt many important monuments including 14 UNESCO World Heritage sites. It’s also cheaper than other primary European destinations. An Asian Tiger, Thailand rapidly developed towards the end of the 20th century largely due to manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. Thailand’s temples and beaches are so popular with young European tourists that travel to Thailand for many European countries is now visa-free. China has been cited as one of the most complex economies (for over 2,000 years) due to its cyclical history of prosperity and decline. As the world’s largest exporter (and second-largest importer), it’s no doubt China will see substantially more than 55.6 million (in 2014) tourists year-over-year in the near future. The world’s largest economy by GDP (both nominal and real), America is also one of the world’s most multicultural countries due to hundreds of years of immigration. Despite being the second most visited country, the United States had tourists spending more than in any other country – 177.2 billion dollars in 2014 compared to 65.2 billion in number two Spain.
