France stayed ahead of the pack and remained the world’s most visited country in the world, with 84.7 million foreign visitors in 2013, according to a study published Monday, reports FRANCE 24.
The lure of the country’ s famous monuments, picturesque landscapes, rich history and legendary cuisine and wines ensured that France kept its top spot well ahead of the United States and Spain, which received 69.8 and 60.7 million foreign tourists each.
The study -- which showed figures for France up from 83 million in 2012 -- is published annually by the economy ministry's DGCIS international competitiveness agency and by the central bank (Banque de France).
According to the report, France saw an increase in European tourists, of 1.2 percent on the previous year, driven by German and British visitors, although the number of tourists from Belgium, Luxembourg and crisis-hit Italy and Spain decreased.
After a big drop in 2012, North American tourists made a return, with the number of visitors crossing the Atlantic up by 5.8 percent.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.