Latin American Countries Attracting The Most International Tourists

Latin America is ranked fourth in the list of leading travel and tourism markets in the world, following North America, the European Union, and North East Asia. The region’s travel and tourism industry contributed over $400 billion to the regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Friendly and affordable pricing, modern hotels, and extensive leisure program for tourists are some of the major factors driving the growth of travel and tourism sector in the region. Latin America is home to some of the finest sandy beaches especially along the coastal lines of Rio de Janeiro and Punta Can that attract tourists especially from Europe and North America during winter. Some of the Latin America Countries frequented by the largest numbers of tourists are looked at below.

Mexico

Mexico is one of the most commonly preferred tourist destinations in the world, and the second most visited nation, after the United States, in the entirety of the Americas region. Mexico is known for several tourist attraction sites and events including the Mesoamerican ruins, beaches, colonial towns, cultural events and nature. Mexico City is famous for the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, Shopping District, and the large public plazas. Mexico’s coastline has numerous beaches which are frequented for sunbathing. Some of the ecotourism sites include El Cielo Biosphere, Durango, Pinacate Peaks, and the Gulf of California. Most of the tourists who visit Mexico come from the United States. Other countries with the highest number of tourist visiting Mexico include the United Kingdom, Canada, Colombia, Spain, and Brazil. In 2015, the country recorded 32.09 million international tourists.

Brazil

Brazil offers tourists a wide range of leisure options to choose from within the range of the many activities available in the country. Nature provides the tourist with a combination of leisure, recreation, and ecotourism. The sun and beaches, especially in Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, attract especially the sunbathers. The lush green Amazon Rainforest, Iguacu Falls, and Carnival offer a perfect site for nature lovers. The numerous magnificent buildings with gorgeous architectural designs such as Edificio Copan, Panoramic Tower, and colonial buildings have also served as tourist attraction sites in the country. In 2015 the country attracted 6.31 million international tourists mostly from countries such as Argentina, the United States, Chile, Paraguay, France, and Germany. South America remains the primary source of foreign tourists visiting the country.

Argentina

Argentina’s vast and varied climates and micro-climates, and the presence of such natural wonders as Aconcagua Mountain (the highest point outside the Himalayas), the River Plata (the widest river in the world), the Iguazu Falls, and the Argentine meadow plains are just some of the places that have attracted tourists into the country for years. The country’s customs and culture and the well-developed infrastructure, including modern roads and accommodating hotels, have made the country into one of the most visited in Latin America. Most visitors coming to the country are attracted by the beautiful landscape of Andes, Argentina Sea, Yungas tropical rainforest and the cold forest of Andrea Pentagon. Argentina received 5.74 million international tourists in 2015 with the majority of the visitors coming from Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, the United States, China, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Belgium.

Ongoing Development of Latin America's Tourism Sector

All of the countries in Latin America listed below attracted more than 2 million international tourists each in 2015. Most of these countries have begun to emphasize the importance and the contribution of tourism to the economy as a means of developing the sector. Improvement of infrastructure and marketing of the countries in the international markets have contributed significantly to the growth of tourism in these countries