The World’s 10 Most Popular Tourist Attractions in 2019

bukki88/iStock via Getty Images
bukki88/iStock via Getty Images / bukki88/iStock via Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Travel trends come ago, but the most iconic locations around the globe continue to attract visitors year after year. The list of the most popular tourist attractions in 2019 includes many sites that are famous around the world, from a historic statue in New York to the ancient ruins of Rome.

The list below was compiled by TripAdvisor using the site's traveler booking data from 2019. For the second year in a row, the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, was named the most visited location for tourists on Earth. Originally constructed to hold 50,000 spectators in the first century CE, it now attracts 7 million people each year.

It's followed by two more European icons: Paris's Louvre Museum, home to such priceless artworks as the Mona Lisa, and the Vatican Museums in Rome, which include the Sistine Chapel.

Three American sites made the list: New York's Statue of Liberty in fourth place, New Orleans's French Quarter in seventh, and Chicago's Willis Tower Skydeck in ninth. The rest of the top 10 is filled out with European attractions, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. After reading the full list below, check out the most popular tourist attractions by state.

  1. Colosseum // Rome, Italy
  2. Louvre Museum // Paris, France
  3. Vatican Museums // Rome, Italy
  4. Statue of Liberty // New York City, New York
  5. Eiffel Tower // Paris, France
  6. Basilica of the Sagrada Familia // Barcelona, Spain
  7. French Quarter // New Orleans, Louisiana
  8. Anne Frank House // Amsterdam, Netherlands
  9. Willis Tower Skydeck // Chicago, Illinois
  10. Piazza San Marco // Venice, Italy

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we choose all products independently and only get commission on items you buy and don't return, so we're only happy if you're happy. Thanks for helping us pay the bills!