What are the main tourist destinations in Europe?

Europe is the continent most visited by tourists. Here are the top 10 European countries most visited by tourists (source World Tourism Organisation).

France, the world's leading tourist destination.

In first position is France, which welcomes more than 89 million tourists a year. Moreover, France is also the most visited country in the world. The French capital, Paris, receives many tourists for its world-famous museums, such as the Louvre, the Branly Museum or the recent Museum of Primitive Arts. Paris has many hotels for all budgets, but it is sometimes preferable, especially when travelling in a group, to book an aparthotel in Paris or a short term rental for a few days, or a furnished rental if the stay is longer than a month.
Tourism is thus the leading industrial sector in the Ile-de-France region in terms of economic spin-offs. The other major cities of France are Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, famous for its great wines and its wine route, Lille, Nantes... Here again there are many offers for short term rentals or apart-hotels.
The Châteaux of the Loire Valley also attract many foreign tourists every year, as do the great seaside regions of France, such as the Côte d'Azur with cities like Cannes or Nice, Brittany (Perros-Guirec), Corsica, the Basque coast with Biarritz or Saint-Jean-de-Luz, or the Bordeaux coast with the Bay of Arcachon. The Normandy coast is also much appreciated by tourists, with Mont-Saint-Michel, Deauville or Trouville in particular. Finally, France has mountain ranges which are very popular with skiers, with the resorts of Méribel, Courchevel, Les Arcs, La Plagne and Val d'Isère.

Spain is in 2nd position in Europe.

Spain attracts more than 82 million tourists a year.

Spain has many assets to attract tourists from all over the world. In addition to its many beaches and its access to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, Spain also has a strong sense of celebration and gastronomy, with its many tapas bars. 4 Spanish regions attract international tourists:

- Madrid, which has many world-famous museums,

- Barcelona , which is an extremely attractive and young city

- The Balearic Islands, with its many sought-after islands like Ibiza, Menorca, Mallorca, etc.

- Andalusia with Granada, Cordoba or Seville.

Here again, staying in a short term rental in Madrid, or in an aparthotel in Barcelona will allow you to live like a local and be more independent to discover the richness of these two cities.

Italy, in the Top 3!

With more than 61 million visitors in 2018, Italy is one of the most attractive countries on the Old Continent. Italy is one of the cradles of European civilisation and has many historical sites. Gastronomy, history, architecture, art, fashion... There is no end to the assets of this unmissable destination. Not to mention the numerous trade fairs held at the new Milan Trade Fair Centre. Of course, it's impossible to talk about the Italy of tourism without mentioning Rome, the romantic historic city. The Eternal City is a jewel for cultural and romantic tourism. Sardinia is a beautiful island, close in every way to Corsica. Florence, with its Basilica and its first dome in history, is an extraordinary and unmissable city in Italy. We can also mention Pisa and its leaning tower, the Cinque Terre near Genoa, Bari in Puglia...

Turkey comes in 4th position, with more than 45 million visitors in 2018;
followed by Germany with nearly 39 million, with a very high number of business travellers linked to the numerous trade fairs organised in Germany, in Frankfurt, Munich, Hanover, Dusseldorf or Berlin;
the United Kingdom with 38 million and its famous capital London.
Austria 31 million ;
Greece 30 million;
Russia more than 34 million;
and finally Poland with nearly 20 million.