top tourism revenue countries

List of Countries by Tourism Income

Below you can find a list of countries by total tourism income and ratio of tourism income by total GDP. You can also find an interactive map below where each country is colored by its tourism income. The ratio of tourism income to the total GDP gives a rough figure which economies are most dependent on tourism income.

• United States of America has the highest total tourism income with over 210 billion $ yearly. This huge figure however is only 1.1% of the country's total GDP
• Spain has the second largest tourism income in the World with almost 68 billion $ yearly, making up tourism 5.2% of the total economy.
• Another Mediterranean country, France, is the third on the list with over 60 billion yearly tourism income.
• It is no wonder that the popular holiday destination Maldives is the leader when it comes to share of tourism in the total GDP. 2.7 billion $ tourism income of Maldives makes up 60% of the country's total GDP.
• Palau and Grenada, two island countries of Caribbeans, come second and third after Maldives. Palau with 141 million $ and Granada with 448 million $ obtain respectively 48% and 40% of their GDP by tourism.

Similar Data

Countries by Number of Incoming Tourists

External Links

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International tourism: the most popular countries

Drastic declines due to COVID-19

The most popular travel countries.

Germany is the world travel champion

Booming tourism and slump in 2020.

A look at the costs

International tourism, receipts (current US$)

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Country Most Recent Year Most Recent Value ( Thousands )

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International tourism revenue, percent of GDP - Country rankings

International tourism revenue, percent of gdp, 2020:.

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World tourism rankings by country: top 20 countries.

In this piece, we will take a look at world tourism rankings by country. If you want to skip our analysis of the tourism industry and recent trends, head on over to World Tourism Rankings by Country: Top 5 Countries .

Tourism is one of the key determinants of global economic health. And it's an industry that has grown alongside advances in air transportation that have enabled people to travel to far flung destinations while traveling at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour.

This industry is also among the few that were left completely devastated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Estimates from the United Nations' World Tourism Organization (WTO) show that international travel shrunk by an absolutely stunning 72% in 2020 as lockdowns and stay at home orders led to the closure of hospitality establishments and restrictions on the number of people that could be crammed inside an enclosed space such as an airplane. The impact of the pandemic was so severe that even by the end of 2022, the industry had recovered to 65% of previous levels despite more than a year of near normalcy.

Yet, tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world. For instance, according to research from Industry Arc, the global travel and tourism industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% between 2021 and 2026 to be worth an estimated $8.9 trillion by the end of the forecast period. Another report from Allied Markets Research estimates that the business travel market was worth $696 billion in 2020 and will grow at a CAGR of 13.2% to sit at $2 trillion by 2028.

At the same time, business and leisure travel are not the only constituents industries of tourism. Two additional markets are adventure tourism and luxury travel. Estimates suggest that the former was worth $282 billion in 2021 and after growing at a CAGR of 15.1% is estimated to be worth $1 trillion in 2030. As far as luxury tourism is concerned, it was quite lucrative, being worth $1.28 trillion in 2022, and should have a CAGR of 7.6% to be worth $2.32 trillion in 2030.

Building on this, the next logical question to ask is which countries are the most popular for tourists and which are the most visited overall as well as in continents such as Europe and Asia. Well, on this front, data from the World Tourism Organization once again answer all our questions. Its World Tourism Barometer report for December 2020 (the latest version that is publicly available) shows that France was the most visited tourist destination in the world and in Europe in 2019. Broadening our approach to see which are the top ten most visited tourist countries in the world, we find out that after France, the list is dominated by Spain, the U.S., China, Italy, Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Astute readers will note that this also makes China as the most visited tourist destination in Asia. In terms of numbers, 83.5 million people visited Spain in 2019 - the second most popular tourist destination in Europe while China attracted 65.7 million people.

At this point, you might be wondering which is the most popular and most visited city in the world. Well, and perhaps unsurprisingly, just as France is the world's and Europe's most popular tourist destination, the most visited city in the world is its capital, Paris. This bit of information comes courtesy of Euromonitor International, which adds that in addition to Paris, some other popular cities for tourists are Dubai, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome, and London. Crucially, Euromonitor's stats are for 2022, while the WTO's data shared above is from 2019, and these facts when taken together indicate that trends in the tourism industry tend to stay similar over the years - a crucial conclusion as you'll find out below.

China's role as the most popular tourist destination in Asia and a leading global economy merits a deeper look at what's in store for the country's tourist fortunes. China kick started 2023 by removing nearly all restrictions on travel and tourism, and after initially faltering, the pent up tourism demand roared back to life. Data compiled by McKinsey shows that visits to one of its most popular cities Shanghai nearly doubled to ten million visitors from the pre coronavirus 2019 peak. At the same time, China also has some of the biggest outbound tourism travelers in the world, and McKinsey estimates that pend up demand from these visitors as well carries with it a strong chance of injecting fresh vigor into the global tourism industry.

Finally, it's relevant to conclude our analysis of the global tourism industry by taking a look at what's happening on the ground. On this front, the management of Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE ) outlined during its first quarter of 2023 earnings call conference :

And I’m pleased to have started the year with strong performance. We posted our highest ever quarter for lodging gross bookings and free cash flow and our best first quarter for revenue. Throughout the quarter, we saw strong consumer demand with acceleration in international and big city travel and more of Asia reopening. The reemergence of major international cities has meant increased hotel demand, offset in part by flattening demand in vacation rentals as travel demand mix to urban destinations over extended beach and mountain trips. Similarly, air has continued to mix towards international travel and away from COVID era concentration in domestic. By and large, prices have held up quite well after several years of inflation. We’ve seen lodging ADRs hold fairly steady across geos. Air ticket prices, however, continued to increase as strong demand continues to outstrip capacity. The only area where we have seen any meaningful decline in average daily rate is in the car rental space where larger inventories have allowed rental companies to drive more volume at the expense of price. Overall, we are pleased to see broad travel demand remain strong in what appears to be a more structural post pandemic environment of people prioritizing travel above most other categories of spend. This has held up despite inflation and recession worries and even, more recently, bank system concerns. While economists continue to debate potential recession outcomes and clearly many unknowns are still out there, consumers have so far shaken it off and continue to travel.

With these details in mind, let's take a look at the world tourism rankings according to countries.

Pixabay/Public domain

Our Methodology

To compile our global tourism ranking by country, we used data from the 2020 version of the United Nations' World Tourism Barometer report. While it lists out international tourism receipts for 2019, this is actually helpful since 2019 was the last economically stable year for the global tourism industry which is still recovering. For our world tourism rankings, we have used international tourism receipts which is the amount spent by international visitors in a country. On a side note, both countries and special territories are included, since the spending is quite substantial.

World Tourism Rankings by Country

20. portuguese republic.

International Tourism Receipts: $20.6 billion

The Portuguese Republic is a Southwestern European country. It has a $257 billion economy and is famous for its Gothic architecture and diverse cuisine.

19. Republic of Korea

International Tourism Receipts: $21.6 billion 

The Republic of Korea, commonly known as South Korea is a technologically developed Asian country. South Korea is quite popular with visitors from China - with thousands flocking to the country each year.

18. United Arab Emirates

International Tourism Receipts: $21.8 billion 

The United Arab Emirates is not a surprising industry in our list of world tourism rankings. After all, its economic hub Dubai is one of the most highly visited cities in Asia.

17. Republic of Austria

International Tourism Receipts: $22.9 billion 

The Republic of Austria is a Central European landlocked country. Some of its most popular tourist destinations include its capital Vienna, known for the Schönbrunn Palace.

16. United Mexican States

International Tourism Receipts: $24.6 billion 

The United Mexican States, or Mexico, is a North American country. It is well known for historical tourism, being the birthplace of the Mayan civilization as well as beautiful beaches.

International Tourism Receipts: $28.0 billion 

Canada is a prosperous North American nation. Canada is best known for its Niagra Falls, which has been a popular tourist destination for more than a hundred years.

14. Hong Kong SAR

International Tourism Receipts: $29.0 billion 

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. It is known for its vibrant nightlife, historic temples, and of course, Disneyland.

13. Republic of Türkiye

International Tourism Receipts: $29.8 billion

The Republic of Türkiye is an Asian and European nation. Its Istanbul International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world.

12. Republic of India

International Tourism Receipts: $30.7 billion

The Republic of India is one of the biggest countries in the world and is full of iconic tourist destinations such as the Taj Mahal, the Ganges River, and more.

11. People's Republic of China

International Tourism Receipts: $35.8 billion

The People's Republic of China is the most populous nation in the world. It has a centuries old culture lending it iconic destinations such as the Great Wall of China.

10. Macao SAR

International Tourism Receipts: $40.1 billion

Macao is another special territory of China. It is best known for its vibrant casino and gaming industry.

9. Federal Republic of Germany

International Tourism Receipts: $41.6 billion

The Federal Republic of Germany is Europe's largest economy It is known for its beer festivals and winter markets, that is quite a spectacle.

8. Commonwealth of Australia

International Tourism Receipts: $45.7 billion

The Commonwealth of Australia is a prosperous Oceanic country. It is known for having the world's largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef.

International Tourism Receipts: $46.1 billion

Like China, Japan is also a historic country full of ancient temples and a historic culture.

6. Italian Republic

International Tourism Receipts: $49.6 billion

Another unsurprising entry on our list is Italy. Known for its Roman culture and art galleries, it is one of the best destinations for cultural tourism.

Click to continue reading and see World Tourism Rankings by Country: Top 5 Countries .

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Disclosure: None.  World Tourism Rankings by Country is originally published on Insider Monkey.

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Statistics of tourism

The United Nations recognizes the World Tourism Organization as the appropriate organization to collect, to analyse, to publish, to standardize and to improve the statistics of tourism, and to promote the integration of these statistics within the sphere of the United Nations system.

“Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving the government, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation.”

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

The UN Tourism Statistics Department is committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for policy objectives. 

The department works towards advancing the methodological frameworks for measuring tourism and expanding its analytical potential, designs practical guidance for their implementation in countries, supports statistical strengthening in countries through capacity building, and compiles and disseminates tourism statistics of countries all over the world.

The United Nations recognizes the World Tourism Organization as the appropriate organization to collect, to analyses, to publish, to standardize and to improve the statistics of tourism , and to promote the integration of these statistics within the sphere of the United Nations system.

Tourism Statistics Database

UN Tourism systematically gathers tourism statistics from countries and territories around the world into a vast database that constitutes the most comprehensive statistical information available on the tourism sector. 

COVID-19 AND TOURISM STATISTICS

With new situations emerging from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, some clarifications need to be made to the UN statistical standards on tourism to maintain as far as possible data consistency and international comparability

• Tourism Revenue By Country

Tourism plays an important role in the economy and it is a major source of revenue for most countries around the world. Countries have invested in tourist attraction sites and infrastructure within their countries to attract both domestic and international tourists. International tourists account for more than 50% of revenue earned from tourism in most countries. An expense incurred by inbound international visitors on goods and services and sometimes passenger items received in the country visited is referred to as international tourism receipt. These payments may include airfare, accommodation fees, shopping fee, money spent on food, and entrance fee paid for public facilities.

Countries Earning The Most From International Tourism

United states.

International tourism is an important part of international trade in the United States . The range of tourist attraction sites, including parks, museums, historical sites, hotels, recreation centers, gambling, and sports venues, are among the factors that are responsible for an increase in international tourist receipt in the US. The majority of the international tourists came from Mexico , Canada , and the UK.

Spain is the second highest earning country in the world when it comes to tourism. The number of international tourists visiting Spain have increased over the years. Environmental factors such as favorable weather, romantic coastline, beaches, and the 44 world heritage sites were significant factors that influenced the arrival of international tourists in Spain.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) earns the third highest amount from tourism in the world. The majority of those who visited the UK went for holiday, business, and studies. London was the most visited city in the UK with Manchester following closely. Some of the famous sites most frequently visited include the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tower of London, and the Science Museum.

Foreign Tourists Serve as an Economic Boost

International tourism is a major source of revenue that directly affects the growth of a country’s economy. The revenue generated from tourism can be used to develop other sectors of the economy such as transport, health, and education. International tourism has also opened up employment in most countries especially in the local communities. France recorded a total of 1.2 million jobs created as a result of tourism leading to the further generation of revenue through taxes. Hotels have also been built to meet the high demand for accommodation in the visited countries. International relations have also been strengthened through international tourism.

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Tales in Transit: The Twists & Turns of World Travel

By: Bastian Herre , Veronika Samborska and Max Roser

Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000.

Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.

For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures.

And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.

But tourism also has externalities: it contributes to global carbon emissions and can encroach on local environments and cultures.

On this page, you can find data and visualizations on the history and current state of tourism across the world.

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Economic Impact Research

• In 2023, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed 9.1% to the global GDP; an increase of 23.2% from 2022 and only 4.1% below the 2019 level.
• In 2023, there were 27 million new jobs, representing a 9.1% increase compared to 2022, and only 1.4% below the 2019 level.
• Domestic visitor spending rose by 18.1% in 2023, surpassing the 2019 level.
• International visitor spending registered a 33.1% jump in 2023 but remained 14.4% below the 2019 total.

Click here for links to the different economy/country and regional reports

Why conduct research?

From the outset, our Members realised that hard economic facts were needed to help governments and policymakers truly understand the potential of Travel & Tourism. Measuring the size and growth of Travel & Tourism and its contribution to society, therefore, plays a vital part in underpinning WTTC’s work.

What research does WTTC carry out?

Each year, WTTC and Oxford Economics produce reports covering the economic contribution of our sector in 185 countries, for 26 economic and geographic regions, and for more than 70 cities. We also benchmark Travel & Tourism against other economic sectors and analyse the impact of government policies affecting the sector such as jobs and visa facilitation.

Visit our Research Hub via the button below to find all our Economic Impact Reports, as well as other reports on Travel and Tourism. 

Tourism Revenues

This page displays a table with actual values, consensus figures, forecasts, statistics and historical data charts for - tourism revenues.,   trade,   markets,   gdp,   labour,   prices,   money,   government,   business,   consumer,   housing,   taxes,   energy,   health,   climate.

Is This the Comeback of Sri Lanka’s Tourism? $1.5 Billion Revenue Suggests So

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

July 10th, 2024 at 3:19 AM EDT

Through a combination of targeted promotions, improved airline services, and strategic visa policies, Sri Lanka is inching closer to its goal of attracting 2.5 million tourists this year.

Peden Doma Bhutia

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is witnessing a resurgence. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka reported that earnings from tourism soared to over $1.5 billion in the first half of 2024, marking a 78% increase year-on-year.

Tourist arrivals hit 1.01 million, up 62% from the same period in 2023. By June 2024, tourism earnings had climbed to $151.1 million, a 23% increase year-on-year, despite a slight month-on-month decline.

The $1.5 billion revenue surge in the first six months is important, especially considering it took Sri Lanka 10 months last year to reach $1.59 billion in tourism earnings from 1.1 million arrivals. The tourism sector’s earnings exceeded $2 billion in 2023.

Tourism arrivals peaked in 2018 in Sri Lanka, when 2.5 million tourists spent $4.4 billion in the country.

Sri Lanka’s Tourism Resurgence

This growth is particularly noteworthy considering the economic turmoil Sri Lanka faced just two years ago. In 2022, the country declared a state of emergency amid severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicines, leading to widespread anti-government protests.

Since the devastating Easter Sunday attacks in 2019, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has faced numerous challenges. However, the sector’s resilience and the government’s proactive measures have begun to pay off.

As per the latest tourism data in the first week of July, Sri Lanka Tourism welcomed a total of 43,083 tourists.

This year, Sri Lanka rolled out its global tourism marketing campaign urging tourists “You’ll Come Back for More,” marking the first such campaign since 2007.

Sri Lanka also aims to welcome 2.5 million tourists and attract revenue worth $4 billion by the end of this year.

India: The Top Source Market

India remains Sri Lanka’s top source market, contributing around 19% of total tourist arrivals. From January to July 7, 198,161 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka.

To attract more Indian travelers, Sri Lanka is conducting roadshows in smaller Indian cities like Indore, Vadodara, and Surat.

As part of a broader strategy to rejuvenate its tourism sector and reach a target of 5 million arrivals by 2026, Sri Lanka announced it would issue free tourist visas until March for visitors from India, China, Russia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. This visa-free entry permits visitors from these countries to stay in Sri Lanka for up to 30 days.

In May, the government extended this visa-free entry until May 31. While no further extension has been officially announced, Skift discovered that the visa exemption still applies to tourists from these seven countries, now with a $10 service fee.

SriLankan Airlines’ Role

SriLankan Airlines is also playing a key role in this recovery. CEO Richard Nuttall noted the airline’s plans to expand its fleet to 25 aircraft by the end of the year, increasing flight frequencies on existing routes and introducing new destinations. Currently, the airline operates direct and codeshare flights to 114 destinations across 62 countries.

The airline has also reported positive performance on its Indian routes, with high yields and a 74% average load factor. The airline has direct services to 9 Indian cities.

Nuttall said the priority is to increase flight frequencies on existing routes once the airline’s strengthens its fleet later this year. Speaking to Business Standard last month, Nuttall said transit traffic from Europe via India to Colombo has tripled since the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the airline would look to first increase its frequencies to destinations like Delhi and Mumbai and also plans to start flights from one or two new destinations in India by next year.

Currently, SriLankan Airlines has 18 codeshare partnerships with other airlines, including Air India. The airline said it has also been in discussion with Middle Eastern and South Asian carriers for new codeshare partnerships.

Skift India Report

India is booming. Discover the subcontinent’s most important travel news here every Tuesday-Thursday.

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Tags: asia monthly , destination marketing , india outbound , sri lanka , SriLankan Airlines , visa waiver

Photo credit: Mirissa Beach in Sri Lanka. Daniel Klein / Unsplash

Friday Jul 12, 2024

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Tourism earnings top $ 1.5 b in 1H 2024

Monday, 8 July 2024 02:43 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

• June earnings at $ 151.1 m reflect 23% YoY growth
• Month-on-month basis, June earnings down 1.8% in tandem with lower arrivals during off-season

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has demonstrated remarkable performance, generating over $ 1.55 billion in revenue during the first half of 2024, registering a substantial 78% increase compared to the same period last year.  The impressive revenue surge within the first six months is significant, given that it took almost 10 months to achieve a similar milestone in 2023. The strong performance underscores not only a robust recovery but also the industry’s potential for continued growth and resilience amid challenges.  June alone saw tourism earnings of $ 151.1 million, reflecting a 23% year-on-year (YoY) increase, though a slight 1.8% decline from the previous month.  In June, a total of 113,470 tourist arrivals were registered, marking a 67% YoY increase. February 2024 stands out with earnings of $ 345.7 million, the highest recorded in a month post-COVID-19.  Since the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has faced significant hurdles but has shown strong resilience, boosting confidence in its recovery and future prospects. Ongoing promotional efforts and a renewed focus on safety and visitor satisfaction are crucial to reclaiming Sri Lanka’s status as a top global tourist destination.  The country’s achievement of crossing the 1 million arrivals mark by the end of June 2024 further highlights the positive outlook, representing a significant increase from the previous year. During the first four days of July, Sri Lanka Tourism has welcomed a total of 21,298 tourist arrivals, pushing the YTD total to 1.03 million visitors.  Sri Lanka Tourism has set an ambitious goal for 2024, aiming to attract 2.3 million tourists and generate over $ 4 billion in revenue.  

Namibia to Lose U.S.$14,7 Million Over UK's Anti-Trophy Hunting Bill

Namibia stands to lose more than N$260 million annually in potential revenue from the hunting industry due to the decision by the United Kingdom's ruling Labour Party to implement an anti-trophy hunting bill.

In 2022 minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta said the banning of hunting trophy imports by the United Kingdom (UK), Belgium and Finland may have negative consequences for Namibia and its wildlife.

"We understand their intention is to protect animal species hunted in Namibia and other African countries - an intention that is shared by the Namibian government," he said.

Shifeta at the time said Namibia's wildlife population generates 13,6 million euros (about N$260 million) in annual hunting revenue and employs more than 6 000 people in rural areas.

Namibia plans to take on the new UK government on its stance on the anti-trophy hunting bill, as well as the immigration laws the Conservative Party has previously enforced.

The Labour Party swept to power last week after winning the country's general election.

It has been pushing a ban on importing hunting trophies to the UK, which has moved a step closer to becoming law with a vote by the UK's members of parliament.

The Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha) has previously said trophy hunting accounts for about 3% of tourists to Namibia, but 20% of tourism revenue.

Namibia's high commissioner to the UK, Linda Scott, yesterday said Namibia, together with other affected southern African countries, namely Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, is disappointed with the Labour Party being committed to an anti-trophy hunting bill.

"Such a bill would certainly undermine the strong and positive contribution to communities in the region that environment conservation has made to the development of and to those communities, to tourism in those areas, and to conservation," she said.

Scott said the Labour Party has committed to consultation with affected countries in southern Africa to examine the vital role hunting revenue plays in funding conservation programmes, local communities and anti-poaching protections across southern Africa.

"Namibia and other countries in the region which have a far better track record in conservation than much of Europe, emphasise that an anti-trophy hunting bill would undermine the strong and positive contribution to those communities," she said. Environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda yesterday said: "These proposed bans will potentially harm Namibia's conservation. This development is astonishing and Namibia condemns such intentions and questions their basis."

He said the German and European ban would inevitably harm Namibia's species conservation strategy.

"Tourists from Europe play a crucial role in hunting and subsequently in Namibia's conservation. To this effect, Namibia, through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, appeals to European countries to take into consideration Namibia's unique situation before a final decision is made," he said.

Muyunda said sustainable hunting has provided income generation and employment opportunities for Namibia's citizens.

"Conservation is a costly exercise for Namibia and its citizens. The government invests a lot of resources and time in preserving our wildlife resources.

"At the same time, our people endure unpleasant interactions with wildlife in the form of conflict," he said. This conflict, Muyunda said, has resulted in the death of 55 residents since 2019, with 84 people sustaining injuries.

"The conflicts have affected the livelihoods of many people who depend on small-scale farming with massive crop damages and livestock losses have been observed countrywide," he said. The ministry has paid a total of N$36,8 million to offset these losses in addition to various other interventions being implemented to manage, prevent and mitigate conflict, he said.

"Sustainable hunting is a key component of conservation in Namibia. Revenue generated from conservation hunting is used in the preservation of habitat, ensuring human rights and sustaining the thriving wildlife economy through photo and hunting tourism," Muyunda said.

In March, British broadcaster BBC reported that the Namibian Association of Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Organisations director Maxi Louis, accused UK members of parliament of meddling in the country's affairs.

The continent's nations had "gained their independence from the colonial powers" a century ago, she said, but "when it comes to our wildlife, the British parliament keeps forgetting".

IMMIGRATION LAWS

The UK's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, has confirmed that the Labour Party would resume processing asylum applications for those who have previously arrived in the UK illegally.

Under a law passed in July last year, tens of thousands of such people, including those who arrived on small boats, are effectively blocked from gaining refugee status.

Scott said Starmer has committed to addressing issues related to the immigration situation in the UK.

"Namibia will be following up on this area of concern," she said.

LABOUR PARTY IMPACT

Scott expressed how recent exploration efforts have revealed extensive deposits of rare earth minerals, oil and gas within Namibia's borders.

She said the development of existing uranium and gold reserves would solidify the nation's position as a holder of significant natural resources and Namibia possesses vast potential for renewable energy generation.

Namibia's dedication to fostering a renewable energy sector aligns perfectly with the priorities of the UK's Labour government, she said.

"Namibia is committed to renewable energy and given the perspective of the Labour government, is looking forward to engaging strongly to develop cooperation in this area, particularly around the sharing of skills and research," Scott said.

International relations public policy analyst Marius Kudumo says Namibian and UK foreign policy would change significantly as a result of the election of a new ruling party.

"Self-interest in terms of commerce and market access has been and will continue to be at the core of international relations, especially for governments. Both countries support an international system based on laws," he says.

• Topics ›
• Summer travel in Europe ›

Southern Europe Leads the Way in Tourism Recovery

International tourism.

As the Northern Hemisphere’s summer holiday season is in full swing, millions of tourists are heading towards Southern Europe to spend their summer vacation on the pristine beaches the region has to offer. With Covid-19 no longer a concern for most travelers, countries like Spain, Italy and France are expecting a very busy, if not a record-breaking summer, as memories of empty beaches and travel restrictions are quickly fading.

In fact, Portugal, Italy, Spain and France – the latter still the number 1 destination for international tourists worldwide – already surpassed pre-pandemic visitor numbers in 2023, thereby leading the way in the tourism sector’s impressive recovery from this unprecedented crisis. In 2023, an estimated 1.3 billion people traveled internationally , which is still a little more than 10 percent short of 2019 travel volume but up more than 200 percent from 2020, the worst year in history for international tourism.

According to the OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2024 report, the recovery of international tourism has been slightly uneven, with some regions opening up quicker than others and conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East limiting travel to affected and neighboring countries. Against this backdrop, European destinations have been profiting from strong intra-European travel demand as well as from a large influx of American travelers empowered by the strong dollar. The opposite is true for inbound travel to the United States, which is still down 16 percent from pre-pandemic levels, as the strong dollar makes traveling to the U.S. a lot more expensive for European or other international tourists.

Description

This chart shows the change in international tourist arrivals in the largest OECD tourism destinations between 2019 and 2023.

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