Austria in 13th place: Tourism is booming after pandemic!

Austria in 13th place: Tourism is booming after pandemic!

Österreich - Austria has secured a considerable place in global tourism. According to current figures, the country takes 13th place among the most visited countries around the world, with 32.2 million international arrivals. This represents an increase of 4.2 % compared to the previous year. This data comes from the UN World Tourism Organization and confirm that global tourism has again reached the level of before corona pandemic in 2024. A total of around 1.47 billion international arrivals were recorded. This is a significant increase, especially when you consider that the record value in 2019 was 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals.

The list of most visited countries is led by France, which recorded 102 million arrivals, followed by Spain with 93.8 million and the USA with 72.4 million. In the top 15 there are also countries such as Turkey, Italy, Mexico and China. The most popular travel destinations within Austria are Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck, the international guests offer a unique insight into the Alpine Culture and impressive architecture.

growing challenge and attractions

A look at the data shows that tourism not only acts as a significant economic factor in many countries, but also brings challenges. The increasing number of tourists often leads to negative consequences such as the destruction of flora and fauna. Nevertheless, tourism and travel play a crucial role in economic development, especially in countries in the global south, where it contributes to employment and economic growth.

Air travel remains the most popular means of transport worldwide. Around 41 million flights were counted in 2024. Examples from Europe show that top airports such as London Heathrow and Istanbul are leading with almost 84 million and around 80 million passengers. The largest airport in Germany, Frankfurt am Main, recorded around 62 million passengers. These numbers show that air traffic continues to be booming despite all the challenges.

Tourist development in numbers

• 1. Space: France - 102 million arrivals
• 2. Space: Spain - 93.8 million arrivals
• 3. Space: USA - 72.4 million arrivals
• 4. Space: Türkiye - 60.6 million arrivals
• 5. Space: Italy - 57.7 million arrivals
• 6. Space: Mexico - 45 million arrivals
• 7. Place: China - estimated placement
• 8. Space: Great Britain - estimated 39 million arrivals
• 9. Space: Germany - 37.5 million arrivals
• 10. Space: Japan - 36.9 million arrivals
• 11. Space: Greece - 36 million arrivals
• 12. Space: Thailand - 35.5 million arrivals
• 13. Space: Austria - 32.2 million arrivals
• 14. Space: United Arab Emirates - estimated placement
• 15. Space: Saudi Arabia-29.7 million arrivals
• 16. Space: Portugal - estimated placement
• 17. Place: Malaysia - estimated placement
• 18. Space: Hong Kong (China) - Estimated placement
• 19. Space: Netherlands - 21.3 million arrivals
• 20. Space: India - 20.6 million arrivals

Overall, this data demonstrate the dynamic and constantly developing nature of international tourism. With the return to the pre-pandemy numbers, it is clear that many countries-including Austria-will again become important destinations for travelers from all over the world. These trends not only illustrate the attraction of the travel destinations, but also the needs and challenges that are associated with a blooming tourism. For further details you can see the reporting of 5min, Bluewin and Statista about the current challenges and opportunities in tourism.