17 Countries That Travel The Most (And Their Top Destinations)
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As more people become more interested in places different from their countries of birth, there has been an increase in international travel. Whether it’s for work, school, adventures, or other reasons, there are certain countries around the world that travel the most. This is an interesting thing to study, especially since most people traveling from one place are usually headed for the same destination. This piece aims to inspire travelers by revealing the top countries that travel the most according to the latest outbound travel report by Research and Markets and also reveal the destinations they mostly travel to.
UPDATE: 2023/05/02 10:13 EST BY REENA JAIN
14 Countries That Travel The Most (And Their Top Destinations)
According to a new UNWTO study, over 900 million tourists traveled abroad in 2022, a twofold increase over 2021. Furthermore, the global tourism recovery seems promising for 2023, despite the worries about the pandemic and the ongoing war in Russia and Ukraine. Keeping this in mind, this list of which countries travel the most has been updated to include China, Canada, Japan, and Singapore.
17 China
Magnificent Great Wall of China, Mutianyu, China
Even though China has eased some of its COVID restrictions and is moving toward a tourism recovery, outbound travel has recovered more quickly than inbound travel to the area. Although China has countless beautiful beaches, mountains, islands, cities, and many natural and modern wonders, Chinese people also love to travel abroad. They prefer visiting nearby Japan, Thailand, and Korea for a short international trip, though other popular destinations include the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
16 Canada
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According to GlobalData’s report, outbound travel from Canada in 2022 increased by 312% to reach 22.3 million, the highest number since 2019. Although Canada is full of fantastic destinations, Canadians, after the pandemic, prefer to spread their wings and travel to distant regions, particularly in the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, and Europe. However, the majority of Canada’s top ten international travel destinations are in the United States.
14 Japan
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Following the Japanese government’s decision to lower its travel warning for 34 countries and territories, Japan’s outbound market is regaining strength, with an increasing number of people traveling abroad. According to data from Japan’s Immigration Service Agency, there were 1045.7% more Japanese tourists abroad in February 2023 than in the same month in 2002. Furthermore, South Korea, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan are among the top international destinations for Japanese travelers.
12 Singapore
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Singapore is a traveler’s dream destination with numerous breathtaking natural beauties as well as of man-made marvels. However, the people of this lovely nation also look for chances to travel to nearby countries for a short trip and faraway destinations for a long break. According to the e-Conomy SEA 2022 report, 52% of Singaporeans intend to travel abroad in 2023, an increase of 13% from 2022. And the majority of them spend three to four days on vacation in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan, which are their preferred international vacation destinations.
10 Austria
Aerial view of Vienna, Austria
Since restrictions were lifted, outbound travel in Austria has continued to skyrocket. It now seems more people are trying to get out of the country than ever. For Austrians, Croatia is the favorite destination for outbound travel, although Italy and Germany are also favorite destinations for according to Statista’s outbound tourist numbers for Austria in 2021.
9 Switzerland
Night view of Lake Geneva, Switzerland with the famous fountain in the background
There are plenty of interesting things to enjoy in Switzerland, but that does not stop millions of people from leaving the country every year and spending their vacations in European destinations. In 2019 before the pandemic, approximately 19.8 million people traveled abroad, and their favorite destinations are France and Germany.
8 Italy
The leaning tower of Pisa, Italy
Italy has everything a person needs, from a destination, from archaeological sites to beautiful beaches and delicious food, and while those are popular among Italian travelers, they also love to travel abroad and check out some of their favorite destinations. In July, outbound travelers from Italy amounted to 3.2 million, and Romania was the country’s most beloved travel destination. Spain and France, however, are popular destinations among Italian travelers.
7 Belgium
Grand Palace, Brussels, Belgium
France has been responsible for the most outbound travels from Belgium. In 2019, approximately 4.5 million trips originating from Belgium landed in France, and although the number may have reduced, one can still expect this trend as more people resume outbound travel.
6 Russia
Russian outbound travel may be on a downward trend, but it remains a country with huge outbound tourism numbers. In 2022, Turkey was the main place of interest for Russian outbound travelers, and the UAE is also popular among Russian travelers.
5 The Netherlands
Beautiful scenery of Amsterdam City, Netherlands
Before the pandemic hit, outbound trips from the Netherlands in 2019 were 22 million, and even though the country may not recover its previous number till 2024, the Netherlands remains one of the countries where people travel the most. Wellness travel is popular among travelers from the Netherlands; Germany is the country’s favorite destination, while Spain and Belgium are also popular among Dutch travelers.
4 United Kingdom
Oxford Street in London, United Kingdom
The Royals, castles, museums, and delicious food are not enough to keep people in the UK from being among the top outbound travelers in the world. In 2019, the country saw an outbound tourism number of 84.7 million, and according to GlobalData, this number is set to reach 86.9 million by 2024, and Spain remains the favorite holiday destination for UK travelers.
3 France
City scape with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
Being the most visited country in the world does not mean people in France just sit around and let other people do the traveling. They also travel in huge numbers, and French people typically prefer to visit other European destinations such as Spain, the U.K., and Germany.
2 Germany
TV Tower, Berlin City, Germany
Germany’s numerous natural and man-made attractions have made it one of the most visited countries in the world, but it has not prevented people from traveling to other destinations for more experiences. In 2019, German travelers took up to 99.5 million trips abroad, placing the country at the top of the list of outbound tourism worldwide. Even though the pandemic reduced global travel, outbound tourism in Germany remains on the high side. German travelers love destinations in the Baltic Sea, although Spain and Italy also rank among the top destinations for German travelers.
1 United States
Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, New York, United States
Inbound travel in the US is high as the country has some of the world’s most sought-after attractions. Americans, however, also love visiting other destinations in the world, which is why outbound tourism in the country is on the high side, making it the country that travels the most. US travelers love Europe and the Caribbean, but Mexico has remained at the top of the US favorite destination list as it received approximately 24 million US travelers as of September 2022.
