World Economic Forum Names United States Best Country for Travel and Tourism in 2024

Image: Aerial view of South Beach, Miami, Florida.  (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/miami2you)
Image: Aerial view of South Beach, Miami, Florida. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/miami2you)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Sun May 26, 2024

A shock to some or no surprise at all to others –the world’s 10 best countries for tourism is led by the United States, according to the World Economic Forum

Europe leads with the most on the top 10. 

The survey is tourism-centric in that it focuses on the business of airlines, airports, hotels, attractions and less on experiences. 

The Best Travel and Tourism Countries in the World 

The World Economic Forum's best countries for travel and tourism are the following: 

1 - The United States – Deemed by the report to be a “mature” destination because of its existing infrastructure that includes everything from airline connections between cities to tour guides. New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, the list of amazing cities is seemingly endless in the United States. 

2 - Spain – The anchor of travel in Europe, which has six countries on the survey. The strength of the euro and the tendency to spend more tourism dollars are big factors. The report also says it has a “a resilient destination with strong intraregional travel flows.”

3 - Japan – The country has seen a tourist boom since the end of the pandemic and the lessening of restrictions on travel. “In 2024, global tourism growth is expected to be reinforced by the continued satisfaction of pent-up demand and growth in major Asian markets after travel restrictions have been lifted following a delay compared to other regions,” says the report.

4 - France – A pillar of European travel that is only likely to be enhanced by hosting the Olympics this summer.

5 - Australia – Aside from the spiders and other venomous critters, the country is very welcoming to visitors.

6 - Germany – Tradition and history. And beer. But it also has a handful of airports and a top-notch train system that make it easy to get around.

7 - The United Kingdom – There's a lot to love in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

8 - China – In the wake of the pandemic, China has made it much easier for tourists, especially Americans. For instance, visitors from the United States no longer need to produce a travel itinerary or proof of hotel bookings to get a travel visa.

9 - Italy – This is a thriving market and probably always will be, but it is battling the problem of tourism with over-tourism, as are many countries in Europe. In one example, Venice is now charging a tax on tourists.

10 - Switzerland – With all the other European countries on this list, it is sometimes easy to forget how beautiful Switzerland is.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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