Headline

Top 10 Most-visited Countries In The World

Published

5 months ago

May 3, 2025

Tourism significantly impacts the global economy, contributing billions of dollars and supporting millions of jobs.

It boosts local economies by increasing demand for goods and services, creating employment and generating revenue for governments.

Certain countries become popular tourist destinations because of unique attractions, cultural richness, good infrastructure and strategic location. These elements contribute to a compelling travel experience, attracting visitors from around the globe.

The World Economic Outlook Report shows global tourism grew by 2.9% in 2024, which further proves that humans simply cannot be kept from exploring new places and food choices.

Here is a list of the top 10 most-visited countries in the world:

1. France (89.4 million visitors)

Interesting places to visit in France include the iconic Eiffel Tower, which lights up with a dazzling display every hour after sunset; the Louvre Museum, which houses the mysterious Mona Lisa, and appears much smaller in person than most tourists expect; the French Riviera beckoning with glamorous beaches, and the Loire Valley charms visitors with more than 300 fairytale castles.

The leading nation in tourism across the world continues its reign with nearly 90 million visitors annually. France offers an unbeatable mix of culture, cuisine and captivating landscapes that keep travellers coming back for more.

2. Spain (83.7 million visitors)

Interesting places to visit in Spain include the captivating Antoni Gaudí’s fantastic architecture in Barcelona, including the still-unfinished Sagrada Família basilica, scheduled for completion in 2026. There are also world-class museums in Madrid, like the Prado, home to masterpieces by Goya and Velázquez.

Spain welcomed 83.7 million sun-seekers and culture enthusiasts last year, combining warm hospitality with diverse attractions.

3. United States (79.3 million visitors)

The United States welcomed 79.3 million international visitors with its incredible diversity of landscapes, cities and experiences.

In Los Angeles, there is Hollywood glamour. In San Francisco, there are hilly streets and the Golden Gate Bridge. The towering skyline, world-class shopping and Broadway shows make New York City an attractive place to visit.

4. China (65.7 million visitors)

The world’s most populous country welcomed 65.7 million visitors in 2024, showing an impressive growth of 4.5% from the previous year.

China combines ancient wonders with futuristic cities. The Great Wall stretches over 13,000 miles across northern China, with restored sections near Beijing providing the most accessible visiting experience. The Forbidden City, home to 24 Chinese emperors, contains 9,999 rooms filled with treasures.

5. Italy (64.5 million visitors)

Italy welcomed 64.5 million visitors drawn to its perfect combination of art, history, food and natural beauty, as travellers can enjoy authentic Neapolitan pizza, fresh pasta in Bologna and creamy gelato everywhere.

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Interesting places to visit in Italy include the open-air museum in Rome, where ancient ruins like the Colosseum and Forum exist alongside Renaissance masterpieces and modern city life, as well as the unique canal network and ornate architecture in Venice.

There is also the Vatican Museums’ art collections gathered by popes over the centuries.

6. Turkey (51.2 million visitors)

Istanbul, the capital city of Turkey, captivates visitors with landmarks reflecting its unique position.

The Hagia Sophia, once a church, then a mosque, now a museum, stands as a testament to the city’s layered history, while the Blue Mosque impresses with its cascading domes and six slender minarets.

Similarly, the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets, invites visitors to haggle for treasures among its 4,000 shops.

Turkey recorded massive growth with 51.2 million visitors in 2024, up 11.9% from the previous year.

7. Mexico (45 million visitors)

Mexico attracted 45 million visitors in 2024, showing a significant growth of 9%. The country combines pre-Hispanic history, colonial charm and natural beauty with famous hospitality.

Captivating places to visit in Mexico include the Riviera Maya, along the Yucatán Peninsula, which draws beach lovers to its white sands and clear waters and the capital, Mexico City, surprises first-time visitors with its sophistication, world-class museums and vibrant neighbourhoods.

8. Thailand (39.8 million visitors)

Interesting places to visit in Thailand include the Grand Palace in Bangkok, which houses the revered Emerald Buddha, while Southern Thailand’s islands and beaches rank among the world’s most beautiful.

Last year, the country welcomed 39.8 million visitors seeking its unique combination of fascinating culture, beautiful beaches and famous hospitality. The “Land of Smiles” offers exceptional value for travellers.

9. Germany (39.6 million visitors)

With 39.6 million tourists, Germany is one of the leading countries in the world for tourism. The European country successfully balances its historical legacy with forward-thinking modernity and beautiful scenery.

Travellers love to explore the Black Forest, Nymphenburg Palace, Pergamon Museum and Cologne Cathedral at night.

Berlin stands as one of Europe’s most dynamic capitals, where sections of the Berlin Wall now serve as an open-air gallery. The city’s Museum Island houses five world-class museums. Munich counterbalances with Bavarian tradition, especially during Oktoberfest, when millions gather to enjoy beer, pretzels and brass band music.

10. United Kingdom (39.4 million visitors)

The United Kingdom welcomed 39.4 million visitors in 2024, earning a place on the list of the most-visited countries in the world.

The regal majesty of London, capital of England, remains an attractive spot for visitors across the world with numerous attractions such as The British Museum (which houses the greatest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside of Cairo), Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Headline

Trump Threatens To Unleash ‘Hell’ On Hamas

Published

14 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

US President Donald Trump has given Hamas until 2200 GMT on Sunday to accept his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, warning the Palestinian militant group faced “all hell” if it did not agree to the terms.

The US leader set the deadline — which would fall at 1:00 a.m. Monday in Gaza — after an official for the Islamist movement told AFP earlier on Friday that the group still needed time to study the proposal to end nearly two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory.

“If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

The proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

That would be followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.

“Hamas is still continuing consultations regarding Trump’s plan… and has informed mediators that the consultations are ongoing and need some time,” the official said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

On Tuesday, Trump gave Hamas “three or four days” to accept his plan, which has been welcomed by world powers, including Arab and Muslim nations.

Mohammad Nazzal, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said in a statement Friday that the “plan has points of concern, and we will announce our position on it soon.”

As Hamas mulled Trump’s peace plan this week, a Palestinian source close to the group’s leadership told AFP on Wednesday that the Islamist movement wanted to amend some clauses, including the one on disarmament.

Hamas leaders also want “international guarantees” for a full Israeli withdrawal and that no assassination attempts would be made inside or outside Gaza, the source added.

Another source familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the group was split over Trump’s plan.

Structurally, the group’s leadership is divided between officials based in the Gaza Strip and those abroad, particularly in Qatar.

Much of Hamas’s leadership has also been wiped out in Israeli attacks throughout the war.

The source told AFP that “the first (opinion) supports unconditional approval, as the priority is a ceasefire under Trump’s guarantees, with mediators ensuring Israel implements the plan”.

“The second has serious reservations regarding key clauses… They favour conditional approval with clarifications reflecting Hamas’s and the resistance factions’ demands,” the source added.

Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said “ultimately it’s not just about convincing Hamas leadership in Doha, but also the leadership in Gaza, as well as Hamas members and fighters in Gaza.”

“Additionally, Hamas must then be able to convince other factions in Gaza,” he added.

The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

Their data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.

Headline

Israeli Forces Strike Gaza Despite Trump’s Ceasefire Call

Published

15 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

Gaza’s civil defence agency said Saturday that Israel carried out dozens of attacks on Gaza City despite US President Donald Trump’s appeal to end bombardments after Hamas accepted a ceasefire deal.

“It was a very violent night, during which the (Israeli army) carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City and other areas in the Strip, despite President Trump’s call to halt the bombing,” civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

Bassal, whose agency is a rescue force which operates under Hamas authority, added that 20 homes were destroyed in the overnight bombardments.

“The situation is very serious in Gaza City,” Bassal said, adding that his teams were not able to reach all the casualties due to the “presence of tanks and the ongoing bombardment”.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was “checking” reports of overnight bombardments on Gaza City.

Gaza City’s Baptist Hospital said in a statement that it received casualties from a strike on a home in Tuffah neighbourhood, including four dead and “several wounded”.

Nasser Hospital in south Gaza’s Khan Yunis said two children were killed and eight people were wounded in a drone strike on a tent in a camp for displaced Gazans.

The peace plan for Gaza, presented by Trump this week and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Hamas said on Friday it was ready to release hostages held in Gaza under the Trump plan, but wanted negotiations on the details and a say in the future of the Palestinian territory.

AFP

Headline

Prosecutors Seek 11-year Sentence For Diddy, Citing ‘Lack Of Remorse’

Published

1 day ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

Prosecutors urged a federal judge Friday to sentence Sean “Diddy” Combs to more than a decade behind bars for his conviction on two prostitution-related counts, saying the music mogul had shown a lack of remorse.

“This is not a person who has accepted responsibility,” prosecutor Christy Slavik told the New York court at Diddy’s sentencing hearing.

“His remorse was qualified. It’s as though he thinks the law doesn’t apply to him,” Slavik said in arguing for an 11-year prison sentence for the 55-year-old hip-hop innovator. ” “His respect for the law is just lip service.”

Combs’s lawyers have asked the judge for a 14-month sentence, which would effectively be time served.

Slavik said Combs had booked speaking engagements in Miami next week in anticipation of a light sentence, which she called “the height of hubris.”

Judge Arun Subramanian for his part said federal sentencing guidelines suggested a prison term of between six and seven years although he has the latitude to impose more or less.

The judge also noted an apparent lack of remorse, saying Combs has “challenged his factual guilt full-throatedly.”

Combs was expected to address the court at the sentencing hearing after submitting a letter to the judge on Thursday pleading for mercy and saying he had “lost my way.”

Following two months of often searing testimony, jurors in July rejected the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering against Combs, sparing him the prospect of life in prison.

Combs’s mother and six of his children were in court on Friday and have submitted letters to the judge in his support.

In his plea to the judge, Combs apologised for his conduct, saying he was “scared to death” to be away from his family and vowing he “will never commit a crime again.”

“I lost my way,” he wrote. “I got lost in my journey. Lost in the drugs and the excess.”

Combs’s former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, asked the judge in a letter of her own to consider “the many lives that Sean Combs has upended with his abuse and control.”

– ‘Humbled and broken’ –

Ventura, the 39-year-old singer known as Cassie, testified for days while heavily pregnant.

She described in wrenching detail physical, emotional and sexual abuse she suffered while in a more than decade-long relationship with Combs.

Ventura and another woman, identified as Jane, said they were coerced into performing so-called “freak-offs”: sexual marathons with hired men that Combs directed and sometimes filmed.

“The entire courtroom watched actual footage of Combs kicking and beating me as I tried to run away from a freak off in 2016,” Ventura wrote.

“People watched this footage dozens of times, seeing my body thrown to the ground, my hands over my head, curled into a fetal position to shield me from the worst blows,” she said, noting she has nightmares and flashbacks “on a regular, everyday basis.”

Ventura said she and her family had left the New York area for fear of “retribution” from Combs if he is released.

The defense didn’t deny Combs’s sexual activity but insisted it was consensual.

They also didn’t deny Combs’s years of violence against both romantic partners as well as employees — but they said it didn’t meet the legal threshold for the grave charges he faced.

Jurors took their side.

The conviction on lesser if still serious counts stemmed from a federal statute that makes it illegal to transport people across state lines for prostitution.

Combs has been incarcerated in Brooklyn for more than a year.

He said his time in prison has left him “reborn.”

“I have been humbled and broken to my core,” Combs wrote.
AFP