World's most visited destinations revealed

France was the world's most visited country last year, although tourists were keen to rein in their spending. No one likes to feel like they are just following the crowd, but when it comes to booking a holiday it's always a good idea to have a look at where other people are jetting off to. After all, if a particular location is popular among travellers it's probably for a good reason, and you can be pretty sure that your needs will be well catered for there.

Anyone struggling for inspiration for their next holiday may therefore be interested to hear that the UN has recently released figures indicating the most visited countries in the world last year, with France taking the top spot.

In fact, the country has occupied the number one position every year since the statistics were first produced, with highlights including the capital Paris, the glamorous towns and cities of the Cote d'Azur and the world-class ski resorts of the Alps.

2012 saw some 83 million global travellers head to France, far exceeding the country's population of 66 million, and the good news for anyone thinking of paying the place a visit is that it isn't a particularly costly holiday destination.

According to the EU's statistics, the average visitor to France last year spent £423 while in the country, which is less than the amount spent by tourists in all of the other top ten most visited countries with the exception of Russia.

In terms of capital cities, Bangkok was found to be the metropolis that welcomed the highest number of travellers in 2012 according to estimates from Mastercard, with 15.98 million foreign arrivals.

Close behind was London, which received 15.96 million guests from overseas, while Paris came third with 13.92 million, indicating that France clearly has a lot more going for it than just the style and sophistication of the City of Love, with 70 million of its visitors choosing not to go to the capital.

Anyone looking to cut down on the cost of their holiday is advised to shop around for cheap travel insurance before leaving home, as it's essential to cover oneself against any potentially expensive mishaps while on a getaway.

Posted by Dennis Clarke