The best countries for tourists to visit in 2019

Spain is once again first on the list of the best world destinations for travellers.

The medieval walled city of Cuenca in Spain. Picture: iStock

Whether it’s its coastlines, cultural heritage, or tourist-friendly infrastructure, Spain seems to have the recipe for success with tourists, according to a listing by Swiss organisation The World Economic Forum, with France coming in second.

For the third time, Spain has emerged as the best destination for travellers worldwide according to an international report that ranks no less than 140 countries, based on 90 criteria related to a country’s infrastructure, safety, hygiene, but also tourism-oriented policies, cultural attractions, and natural resources.

Nice, France. Picture: iStock

And while France was the world’s foremost destination in 2017, with 89.4 million visitors, it will have to make do with second place in this particular listing.

With its châteaux, museums, and gorgeous coastlines … unsurprisingly, France’s cultural and natural assets are its strong suit, taking second place in that regard, just behind China, with Spain coming in third.

In the overall ranking, Germany comes in third, ahead of mainstays like Japan (4th) and the US (5th). Europe is thus a winning team in the competition.

Nuremberg, Germany. Picture: iStock

And just as Vienna gets top honors as the best city in which to live in the world, Austria comes in a paltry 11th. The biggest surprise is the UK, which “only” comes in sixth.

ALSO READ: The world’s most liveable cities in 2019

When looking at lists that take only one criterion into account, other destinations like Finland, Iceland and the Sultanate of Oman stand out as the safest countries. Elsewhere, Malta is the country that is working the hardest to stimulate its tourism industry, ahead of Jamaica and Cyprus.

Himeji, Japan. Picture: iStock

In terms of sustainability and environmental issues, Europe is once again well represented, with Switzerland on top, followed by Norway and Austria. Canada gets first prize for its infrastructure and air traffic, ahead of the US and Australia.

In terms of services offered to travellers, Portugal is top of its class, before Austria and Spain. Finally, if travellers only take a country’s natural resources to choose their next trip, they can head to Mexico, Brazil and Australia.

Conversely, Yemen, Chad and Liberia shared the dubious honuor of being the bottom three destinations.