Spain surpasses United States to become world’s second most visited country after France
Spain last year surpassed the United States to become the world’s second most visited country after France. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy speaking during a visit to Italy said that 82 million people visited in 2017, a 9% increase over the previous year.
Prime Minister said this is despite terror attacks and the political crisis in tourism magnet Catalonia. He said in Rome on the sidelines of a southern European summit on migration that tourism earnings rose 12%.
According to the US International Trade administration, international tourism to the United States shrank during the first five months of Donald Trump’s presidency. Official figures show, arrivals fell 5% in the first quarter and 3% in the second quarter.