France retained its position as the world's favorite tourism destination in 2016, the U.N.'s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) says, defying concerns over terror attacks, reports Japan Today.
The United States came second followed closely by Spain, according to annual figures that the Madrid-based UNWTO normally announces in January, but which were delayed this year.
But although France stayed on top by welcoming 82.6 million visitors in 2016, that was a more than two percent drop from the previous year, the figures showed.
Repeated terror attacks had sparked concerns that tourism would drop substantially in France, known especially for its gastronomy and wine but the data indicated most visitors have not been put off.
The number of tourists visiting the US was also down, falling three percent to 75.61 million, which saw the country narrowly maintain its second position as Spain experienced a 10 percent jump in visitors to 75.56 million.
The latter's tourism industry has boomed partly because people who normally go to Turkey, Egypt or north Africa for their holidays are instead deciding to chase the sun in Spain, citing fears of unrest.
China came fourth in the ranking with just under 60 million visitors and Italy came fifth -- the same as in 2015.
The classification is calculated according to the number of visitors who spend at least one night in a country.