According to USA news, these countries are the best for tourism. Greece is 4th.
These are the top countries viewed as good for tourism by global survey respondents. This quality factors into the overall U.S. News Best Countries rankings and Adventure subranking. For more information on the rankings, see our methodology.
Located in southeastern Europe, Greece as an independent nation is young, existing since the 19th century. Its civilization, however, is one of history’s oldest and most influential, credited with creating the concept of democracy as well as the ancient Olympic Games, and laying Western foundations in science, the arts and philosophy.
Greece occupies the southernmost part of Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, as well as a collection of islands that dot the Aegean, Ionian and Mediterranean seas. Its landscapes of mountains, hills and coastline and its rich cultural heritage make it one of the most visited countries in the world.
Greece broke away from the Ottoman Empire and declared independence in the early 19th century. A referendum in 1974 abolished the monarchy and created the parliamentary republic that exists today. The country has a free-market economy with some government involvement. Fueled by the tourism industry, services comprise the largest economic sector in the country, both for employment and contribution to the Greek gross domestic product. Shipping, industrial production and agriculture are other significant sectors of the economy.
[Explore top universities in Greece]
Following the global financial crisis, Greece went into recession in 2009. The global economic downturn exposed years of government deficit spending in the country, and the International Monetary Fund and eurozone governments have provided aid packages that are tied to sharp austerity programs for the Greek government.
The ongoing Greek debt crisis raises questions about the futures of the eurozone, the European Union and of the Greek people, who face years of living under austerity measures. Within the European Union, Greece has one of the highest unemployment rates – particularly for young adults – as well as an alarming risk of poverty for its citizens. The nation has also become a major crossroads for migrants, though many have faced border closures and deteriorating conditions at camps.
Greek culture has forged distinctive identities in science, the arts, social sciences and cuisine. Greece gave birth to drama and the theatre, as well as disciplines such as political science. Greek Orthodoxy is the dominant religion, but religious tolerance is encoded in the country’s constitution.
Greece is a member of major international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund.
#1 in Good for tourism
#15 in Best Countries Overall
Italy is a south-central European country, whose boot-shaped borders extend into the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s historical cities, world-renowned cuisine and geographic beauty make it a popular destination for more than 40 million tourists each year. The nation is home to Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, and houses two countries within its borders – the Vatican and San Marino.
$2.01 trillion
$51,865
58.9 million
#2 in Good for tourism
#17 in Best Countries Overall
A number of independent kingdoms united in 1492 to form the Kingdom of Spain, a cultural patchwork that continues to shape the modern nation’s dynamic identity. Spain comprises much of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Portugal on the southwestern edge of Europe. It also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and two enclaves in North Africa.
$1.40 trillion
$45,825
47.6 million
#3 in Good for tourism
#12 in Best Countries Overall
It is difficult to overstate the influence France has on the world, both in the past and today. Located in Western Europe, France is one of the world’s oldest countries, and its reach extends around the globe through science, politics, economics and perhaps above all, culture. Starting in the Middle Ages, France evolved through kingdom, empire and finally, into a republic. It was one of the first nations to champion the rights of the individual.
$2.78 trillion
$55,493
67.9 million
#4 in Good for tourism
#27 in Best Countries Overall
Located in southeastern Europe, Greece as an independent nation is young, existing since the 19th century. Its civilization, however, is one of history’s oldest and most influential, credited with creating the concept of democracy as well as the ancient Olympic Games, and laying Western foundations in science, the arts and philosophy.
$219 billion
$36,835
10.6 million
#5 in Good for tourism
#4 in Best Countries Overall
The Commonwealth of Australia occupies the Australian continent. The country also includes some islands, most notably Tasmania. Indigenous people occupied the land for at least 40,000 years before the first British settlements of the 18th century.
$1.68 trillion
$62,625
26.0 million
#6 in Good for tourism
#1 in Best Countries Overall
Switzerland, officially called the Swiss Confederation, is a small country in Central Europe made up of 16,000 square miles of glacier-carved Alps, lakes and valleys. It is one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and has been well-known for centuries for its neutrality.
$808 billion
$83,598
8.77 million
#7 in Good for tourism
#8 in Best Countries Overall
British and Polynesian influences course through picturesque New Zealand, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean southeast of Australia. Early Maori settlers ceded sovereignty to British invaders with the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, and European settlers flooded in. Today, 70 percent of Kiwis, a common term for the people of New Zealand after a native flightless bird, are of European descent. A sense of pride has surged among the Maori, the country’s first settlers who now account for about 14 percent, as homeland grievances become more openly addressed.
$247 billion
$51,967
5.12 million
#8 in Good for tourism
#29 in Best Countries Overall
Thailand, which translates to “land of the free,” is the only Southeast Asian nation that did not encounter European colonization. Located just above the equator, the nation is wedged into the Indochina peninsula with neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and has an arm that extends out to Malaysia.
$495 billion
$20,672
71.7 million
#9 in Good for tourism
#34 in Best Countries Overall
Egypt, with vast swaths of desert in its east and west and the rich Nile River Valley at its heart, is site to one of the world’s earliest and greatest civilizations. Its location at the northeast corner of Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea has made it a cultural and trading center. But its location has also made it a prize to claim by empires and put it at the center of social and religious movements.
$477 billion
$15,091
111 million
#10 in Good for tourism
#6 in Best Countries Overall
Japan, one of the world’s most literate and technically advanced nations, is an East Asian country made up of four main islands. While most of Japan is covered by mountains and heavily wooded areas, the country’s roughly 126 million people lead a distinctly urban lifestyle. Long culturally influenced by its neighbors, today the country blends its ancient traditions with aspects of Western life.
$4.23 trillion
$45,573
125 million
#11 in Good for tourism
#10 in Best Countries Overall
Situated along the fringes of Western Europe, the Netherlands is a coastal lowland freckled with windmills characteristic of its development around the water. Three major European rivers - the Rhine, Meuse and Schelde - run through neighbors Germany and Belgium into the nation’s busy ports.
$991 billion
$69,577
17.7 million
#12 in Good for tourism
#2 in Best Countries Overall
Canada takes up about two-fifths of the North American continent, making it the second-largest country in the world after Russia. The country is sparsely populated, with most of its 35.5 million residents living within 125 miles of the U.S. border. Canada’s expansive wilderness to the north plays a large role in Canadian identity, as does the country’s reputation of welcoming immigrants.
$2.14 trillion
$58,400
38.9 million
#13 in Good for tourism
#9 in Best Countries Overall
The United Kingdom is a highly developed nation that exerts considerable international economic, political, scientific and cultural influence. Located off the northwest corner of Europe, the country includes the island of Great Britain – which contains England, Scotland and Wales – and the northern portion of the island of Ireland. The country’s role on the global stage faces new questions as the nation withdrew from the European Union. , as well as the policies supporting the eurozone.
$3.07 trillion
$54,603
67.0 million
#14 in Good for tourism
#16 in Best Countries Overall
Founded as a British trading colony in the 19th century, Singapore is a bustling metropolis in Southeast Asia and home to one of the world’s busiest ports. The vast majority of its 5.7 million citizens live on the eponymous capital island, and dozens of surrounding islands complete the city state. Gross domestic product per capita is high and unemployment is low, making Singapore one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
$467 billion
$127,565
5.64 million
#15 in Good for tourism
#25 in Best Countries Overall
Jutting into the Atlantic Ocean on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula and flanked by Spain to the east, Portugal is a nation with its gaze turned outward. Its history is steeped in discovery and exploration, beginning with early leaders that, after ousting Celtic and Moorish settlers in the 12th century, focused on building their kingdom beyond continental borders.
$252 billion
$41,452
10.4 million
#16 in Good for tourism
#3 in Best Countries Overall
The Kingdom of Sweden, flanked by Norway to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east, expands across much of the Scandinavian Peninsula and is one of the largest countries in the European Union by land mass. Capital city Stockholm was claimed in the 16th century, and border disputes through the Middle Ages established the modern-day nation.
$586 billion
$64,578
10.5 million
#17 in Good for tourism
#28 in Best Countries Overall
Occupying half of South America’s land mass, Brazil is the giant of the continent – both in size and in population. Brazil’s history is filled with economic turmoil, veering from boom to bust, and its culture is a melting pot that has traditionally welcomed the world. Brazil is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. However, the country in the 21st century confronts serious questions touching on poverty, inequality, governance and the environment.
$1.92 trillion
$17,822
215 million
#18 in Good for tourism
#22 in Best Countries Overall
Austria a culturally rich, high-income parliamentary democracy that hosts several key international organizations. Located in the heart of Central Europe, the modern Austrian state was shaped by the two world wars of the 20th century.
$471 billion
$67,936
9.04 million
#19 in Good for tourism
#23 in Best Countries Overall
The Republic of Ireland is an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean, separated from Britain on the east by the Irish Sea. Nicknamed the Emerald Isle for its well-watered grasslands, the country is known for its rich cultural traditions, lively pub scene and its struggles for independence. The country comprises five-sixths of the island of Ireland – the remaining sixth is Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. After a bloody fight for independence and civil war in the early 20th century, Ireland became a republic in 1949.
$529 billion
$126,905
5.09 million
#20 in Good for tourism
#32 in Best Countries Overall
Founded in 1923, Turkey is home to a unique intersection of culture as the nation bridges Asia with Europe. The country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, though influences of bygone Roman and Byzantine rule pepper the streets and skyline. Extravagant mosques and cathedrals can both be found within blocks of the Grand Bazaar in the city of Istanbul, home to 14 million people. Religious identity is an important part of Turkey’s evolution. For more than a decade, power struggles between a military-backed secular government and an increasingly popular religious movement have raised concerns about government stability.
$906 billion
$37,274
85.3 million
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