Debating booking a last minute holiday to a tried and tested destination? You aren’t alone. Holidaymakers flocked in their millions last year to overseas countries with the greatest allure in culture, cuisine and cost.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s rankings, the tourism giants that commanded the industry in 2022 welcomed an estimated 450 million tourists; the most-visited destinations spanning Europe, North America and South America.
Ongoing disruption to travel since Covid-19 has seen a serious decline in international tourist arrivals since 2019, but the provisional data for 2022 shows levels are on the rise, climbing to nearly 63 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the first nine months of last year.
European countries dominate the top 10, with seasonal periods of snow and sunshine huge selling points for diverse summer and Christmas holidays as travel trends start to mend.
Here are the countries that topped the list and the best time to visit them, from charming Austria to the sunny shores of Spain.
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10. Austria
Hallstatt Village in the Austrian Alps, a bucket-list spot for Frozen fans
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Yearly visitors (2022): 26.2 million
Austria welcomed the 10th most international visitors in 2022, the landlocked country’s fairytale villages and richly cultural cities understandably enticing tourists. With alpine resorts full with festive charm, lake districts great for glacial swims and hiking paths through ancient woodland regions, it’s easy to embrace nature in Austria. Find the birthplace of Mozart, Sound of Music bus tours and summer concerts in Salzburg, a heritage of royal Habsburgs and a Unesco-listed centre in the capital, Vienna, and the delights of the Wachau Valley wine region on the Danube River fruitful with vineyards, castles and monasteries. Even better, Austria is only a train ride away from London and Vienna can be reached in just a day – what’s not to love?
When to visit
Austria’s versatile climate sees hot summers from June to August that city dwellers tend to escape. Alternatively, comfortable springs with highs of 21C in Vienna and the east accommodate hiking and days spent lakeside, with gastronomy and arts festivals taking place in May. Christmas markets and winter sports are at their best come November, with skiing on the…
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