In this article, we will take a look at the 25 most fun countries in the world. If you want to skip our analysis of the travel and tourism industry, head on over to the 5 Most Fun Countries in the World.
Travel and Tourism Industry: An Analysis
In April, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) published its 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) revealing that the travel and tourism industry has recovered by more than 95% and is approaching its 2019 peak. The industry is anticipated to reach $9.5 trillion this year, just 5% below its gross domestic product (GDP) contribution in 2019. Moreover, the report found that 34 countries have already exceeded their pre-pandemic levels of travel GDP, with the United States and the Dominican Republic leading the charge.
Per the global tourism body’s President and CEO, Julia Simpson, full recovery of the industry is anticipated in 2024, and will be supported by the gradually increasing number of Chinese tourists.
Additionally, the WTTC predicts that over the course of the next ten years, the industry will contribute $15.5 trillion to the global economy and employ 430 million people worldwide, representing 12% of the working population.
Some of the leading travel companies that investors can monitor in this context include Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) and Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL).
Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB), a web-based platform, where travelers can find and book short-term rentals all over the world, had a total workforce of 6,811 people in 2022. On May 9, Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) posted earnings for the first quarter of 2023, reporting a GAAP EPS of $0.18, beating market estimates by $0.08. The revenue over the period was $1.82 billion, up 20.5% compared to the revenue over the same period last year.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), an airline company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, offers more than 4,000 flights per day between more than 275 destinations on six continents. The company was the most punctual airline in the US last year, with more than 80% of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of their schedule on average, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) from the Department of Transportation (DOT).
American Travel and Tourism Industry
There is no doubt that many people dream of travelling to the United States. With its national parks, lively cities, diverse cuisine, and variety of arts and cultural activities, it is one of the most stunning, interesting, and fun countries in the world to explore. According to United Nations' World Tourism Organization, 79.4 million international visitors came to the US in 2019 and spent around $200 billion in total. The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, however, drastically reduced tourism in the United States, with only 19.2 million international arrivals recorded in 2020. Moreover, due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders forcing businesses to close and limiting how many people could board an airplane, the travel and tourism industry's contribution to the U.S. GDP fell by 41% in 2020.
Nevertheless, with the pandemic firmly in the rear-view mirror, WTTC estimates that the industry will add nearly $2.24 trillion to the country’s economy this year, exceeding the all-time high of 2019 ($2.17 trillion). Moreover, the sector will reach 17.4 million jobs, only 1% behind pre-pandemic numbers, by creating more than 1.2 million jobs this year.
Travel Plans of Americans for 2023
There is still a substantial pent-up demand for international travel in 2023 given that Americans are keen to travel despite rising interest rates, persistent inflation, and concerns about a recession. According to the 2023 Deloitte Summer Travel Survey, which was covered in one of our earlier pieces, 50% of Americans will travel for pleasure this summer, up from 46% the year before. However, due to financial worries, roughly half of non-travelers said they will remain at home. The survey also revealed that one in five respondents indicated that they were travelling to make up for lost vacation time due to the pandemic. From 14% in 2022 to 22% this year, more Americans intend to travel abroad.
Furthermore, a stunning 87% of respondents in a Forbes Advisor survey of 1,000 Americans planning to travel in 2023 said that they expect to travel at least as much as the previous year, with nearly 50% saying that they anticipate travelling more.
According to the aforementioned data, travel and tourism likely has a bright path ahead. As the urge to explore is naturally universal, we will discuss the most fun countries in the world in the article below.
When tourists travel to a country, they engage in activities, such as going to a fair or festival, visiting a zoo, aquarium, historical site, botanical garden, theme park, museum, or art gallery, or playing an outdoor sport. All these activities are major factors that define fun, and it stands to reason that countries that receive the most tourists are famous because they have plentiful fun activities identified earlier.
Therefore, to determine the most fun countries in the world, we took a look at the number of international tourist arrivals in each nation in 2018 and 2019, since these were the last economically stable years for the global tourism industry which is still recovering, with data courtesy of The World Tourism Organization, an agency of the United Nations.
The average number of foreign tourists arriving in each country were then calculated.
Finally, the countries were arranged in descending order, based on the average number of foreign tourist arrivals, in order to get to the 25 most fun countries in the world.
Please take note that although the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed 16.4 million average number of foreign tourists, it has been excluded from our list since a large percentage of visitors come to the country every year to perform Hajj or Umrah, which are holy activities performed by Muslims.
25 Most Fun Countries in the World
25. South Korea
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 16.4 million
South Korea, famous for its kimchi, K-pop, K-dramas, tech giant Samsung, automotive manufacturer Hyundai, and revolutionary skincare and beauty items, is an East Asian nation.
Some of the most popular tourist locations in South Korea are Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island.
24. Vietnam
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 16.75 million
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a popular tourist destination because of its stunning beauty and vibrant culture.
23. Croatia
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 17.0 million
Croatia, best known for its idyllic islands and stunning coastline, is a country located in the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula.
One of the most visited islands for vacations in the country is Hvar. Kayaking, hiking up the Fortica Fortress, watching the sunset, and visiting adjacent islands are a few of the top things to do in Hvar.
22. Hungary
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 17.05 million
Hunagry draws a large number of visitors from all over the world due to its many attractions. The internationally renowned city of Budapest, the breathtaking Danube River, and the majestic Balaton Lake, are just a few examples.
21. India
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 17.65 million
India, with its rich culture and history, is one of the most interesting, vibrant, and fun countries in the world to visit. Numerous tourists flock to the country to see the exquisite Taj Mahal in Agra, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad.
20. Netherlands
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 19.45 million
Tourists from all over the world go to the Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, to visit its fun-loving capital, Amsterdam, as well as historically significant cities like Delft and Groningen. This fascinating and fun country is further enhanced by a countryside dotted with tulips and windmills and beautiful national parks.
19. Poland
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 20.4 million
Poland has a fascinating history, beautiful architecture, a thriving culture, and welcoming people.
It has many museums, like The Warsaw Rising Museum and POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, for history enthusiasts. Poland had 939 museums as of 2021.
18. United Arab Emirates
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 21.45 million
United Arab Emirates is one of the most adventurous and fun countries in the world to visit. The country provides a wide range of outdoor pursuits, including skydiving over the Palm in Dubai and kayaking through mangroves in Umm Al Quwain, among others.
17. Canada
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 21.6 million
Travelling to Canada is a lot of fun since you can experience the vibrant cities, mountains, beaches, winter wonderlands, and everything in between.
Niagara Falls, one of Canada's most famous natural attractions, hosts approximately 12 million visitors a year.
16. Portugal
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 23.7 million
Numerous attractions draw tourists to Portugal every year, including its warm weather, pristine beaches, rich culture, and cuisine.
Coasteering is a fantastic outdoor experience for young travelers in Arrabida Natural Park near Lisbon, the nation's capital. Cliff jumping, swimming, and hiking are all included in this thrilling sport.
15. Russian Federation
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 24.6 million
Russia, one of the perfect travel destinations to experience delicious food, interesting culture, and beautiful architecture, welcomed 24.6 million people in 2019. Many tourists visit Moscow, the country's capital, to see the famed Red Square and Kremlin.
14. Malaysia
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 25.95 million
Malaysia, a Southeast Asian country, is one of the most fun countries in the world to visit. It welcomed about 26 million visitors in 2019. Some of the biggest tourist attractions in the country are the Perhentian Islands, Cameron Highlands, Batu Caves, Langkawi Sky Bridge, Taman Negara, and Petronas Twin Towers.
13. Greece
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 30.7 million
Greece, a country in southeastern Europe, is renowned for its gorgeous beaches, calm lakes, and lush meadows. Adventure seekers can walk up Mount Olympus and engage in water activities like parasailing and scuba diving in Santorini.
12. Austria
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 31.35 million
Austria, with its stunning views of the Alps, breathtaking crystal-blue lakes in the region of Salzkammergut, and historic cities like Vienna, is the one of the most enjoyable countries in the world.
Additionally, music is highly valued in this country. Tourists can enjoy numerous free concerts in the cities of Vienna and Salzburg.
11. Japan
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 31.55 million
Japan is a traveler's paradise with its stunning sceneries and rich history. Tokyo, Kyoto, Naoshima, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima, Yakushima, and Nara are some of the best places to visit in the country.
10. United Kingdom
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 39.05 million
The United Kingdom has always been a popular tourist destination due to its rich history. The country has much to offer for all types of travelers, including the lush Welsh hills, the rugged landscape of Scotland, and the bustling capital of London.
$58.6 billion was spent by 39.4 million people who visited the U.K. in 2019.
9. Thailand
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 39.05 million
Thailand, famous for its beautiful beaches, magnificent temples, and flavorful cuisines such as Tom Yum Goong and Pad Thai, is a Southeast Asian country.
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangan are some of the most famed travel destinations in Thailand.
8. Germany
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 39.25 million
Germany is the largest economy in Europe, as was previously mentioned in one of our articles.
It is one of the most fun countries in the world on our list because of its incredible entertainment attractions. The Berlin Film Festival, river cruises on the Maine and Rhine Gorges, and Oktoberfest, the greatest beer festival and travelling fair in the world, are just a few of these.
7. Mexico
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 43.15 million
Mexico, with its stunning beaches, modern cities, vibrant nightlife, mariachi music, and tortillas, is among the most entertaining nations on earth. Moreover, the country is home to some of the most stunning Mayan Ruins, like The Castle of Chichen Itza in Yucatan State, which was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World after a worldwide vote in 2007.
6. Turkey
Average Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals: 48.5 million
Turkey, with its picturesque beaches, ancient ruins, mosques, thermal springs, and beautiful natural wonders, is a popular vacation spot.
The country offers a variety of outdoor activities for tourists. These include hot air ballooning and mountain biking in Cappadocia, sea kayaking around Kekova Island, and paragliding and scuba diving in Oludeniz among others.
