Spain Second In Tourist Visits

Spain has nudged out the United States as the world’s second-most-popular destination for foreign tourists, the World Tourism Organization reported Friday.

France kept its leading position with 60.5 million international visitors last year, a drop of 1.19 percent from 1994, according to the Madrid-based organization.

Spain got 45.125 million foreign visits, an increase of 4.38 percent, versus 44.73 million for the United States, a decline of 1.7 percent.

But the United States remained the place where tourists spend the most money - $27 billion last year, followed by France, Italy and Spain.