Europe is the world’s most popular continent for tourism.
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That probably doesn’t come as a surprise. While Americans are spoiled by natural wonders, a diverse list of cities, and proximity to gorgeous areas like the Caribbean and mountain ranges further north, most avid travelers are dreaming about a trip to Europe.
Cities like Paris, London, and Rome are iconic, while newer horizons in places like Croatia and Denmark have also sparked renewed interest. The focus for Americans is often culture, but there’s still plenty to look forward to in the way of nature, nightlife, and slow living.
But which country do you think tops the list in terms of sheer numbers? And just how many tourists do you think these countries welcome each year?
Let’s dig in.
Which European countries get the most tourists? The final results
If you had Italy, Spain, and France in your top three—well done. These three countries often take the top three positions for most tourists welcome annually… not just across the continent, but the world.
In 2025, Spain led the world with 330 million nights stayed. (That’s not the number of tourists welcome—it’s how many nights they stayed total.) Italy came in second place with 265 million nights stayed, followed by Turkey (154 million) and then France (150 million).
But this is a metric that looks at total nights stayed—not sheer tourist numbers. In other words, it looks at how long tourists stay, not how many pass through the country.
In terms of sheer tourism numbers, France actually takes the cake. According to France’s Economy Ministry, the country welcomed 102 million international tourists in 2025. That’s just above Spain’s reported 96.8 million international visitors from 2025.
In other words, in terms of total foreign visits, France is Europe’s most-visited country. However, in terms of total nights stayed, Spain is managing almost double the number of overnight stays from international visitors.
Here’s the final list, via EuroNews, of the most visited European countries based on how many nights international visitors stayed in 2025:
- Spain: 329 million
- Italy: 264 million
- Turkey: 154 million
- France: 150 million
- UK: 149 million (data from 2024)
- Greece: 130 million
- Austria: 97 million
- Croatia: 85 million
- Germany: 83 million
- Netherlands: 64 million
