Although it was the top international travel destination in the 1970s, Italy is no longer the most popular tourist destination, ranking fifth in 2013. The country that was the most popular tourist destination in 2013 was France, followed by the United States, China and Spain. The decline in popularity for Italy as a tourist destination is thought to be a result of a lack of marketing, as well as a lack of the public transportation system needed for tourists to travel easily across the country.
More about popular tourist destinations:
- The most popular tourist attraction in the world is the Las Vegas Strip, which received about 39.6 million visitors in 2013, followed by Central Park in New York City, which had around 39.2 million visitors.
- Ten of the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations in 2013 were Disney-themed parks.
- Tourists who visit the Chinese region of Macau, also referred to as the Las Vegas of the Far East, spend the most money: an estimated $3,213 US Dollars per person, as of 2013.
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Discussion Comments
Does anyone know of some other "famous" tourist attractions that aren't so popular anymore?
In reference to the first bullet point, is the Las Vegas Strip a popular tourist attraction? One of the things that Las Vegas is known for is it's gambling, so it wouldn't surprise me if that was the reason why. Besides, considering how much money tourists spend there (in relation to the third bullet point), I'd say it's a high probability.
These are some very interesting facts about tourist destinations, to say the least. To be honest, I'm not surprised that Italy isn't a popular tourist attraction. In fact, that can be the case with a lot of places that are outside of the country. Transportation isn't always the easiest, and sometimes as a whole, it's way too expensive.
Who knows, though? Maybe in the future, Italy will be at the top of the ranks again. They just need to increase their marketing, and work on a better transportation system.
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