In this article, we are going to discuss the 25 countries with the best beaches. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global tourism industry, the importance of cruise tourism, and the need for sustainable tourism, and go directly to 10 Countries with the Best Beaches.
There's simply no better place to let go of daily stress than on the beach. From examining the tiniest little seashell to experiencing the vastness of the ocean, there is nothing quite like it. Beach tourism started off in the 17th and 18th centuries as a strictly medical undertaking, often prescribed by English physicians as a popular treatment for conditions like tuberculosis and ‘melancholy’. Like so many things at the time, the seaside vacation became one of Britain’s cultural exports, spreading both by word of mouth and through expatriate Britons. By the early 19th century, seaside resorts were springing up in France, Germany, Scandinavia, and gradually, even made their way to the New World.
The Global Tourism Industry:
Tourism has evolved into a massive industry with time, encompassing several other sectors, such as hospitality, transport, entertainment etc. In 1950, at the dawn of the jet age, just 25 million people took foreign trips, and by 2019, that number had reached 1.5 billion. As we mentioned in our article – 30 Most Magical Places in the World– the global Travel & Tourism (T&T) industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% between 2021 and 2026, to be worth an estimated $8.9 trillion by the end of the forecast period.
The World Tourism and Travel Council has reported that the T&T sector contributed 7.6% to the global GDP in 2022, an increase of 22% from 2021 and only 23% below 2019 levels.
The Importance of Cruise Tourism:
For many popular beach holiday destinations, in particular small Caribbean islands, cruises constitute more than 50% of the total of tourism arrivals, generating important receipts through the services supplied by the port and expenditures of passengers and crew. In 2019, the global cruise industry welcomed 29.7 million passengers, created jobs for 1.8 million people around the world, and contributed over $154 billion to the global economy.
When WHO declared the global pandemic, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) member cruise lines announced a voluntary suspension of operations worldwide, making the sector one of the first to do so. However, 2022 saw a resurgence of the sector and the global volume of cruise passengers totaled just over 20 million last year. The United States, with its long coastlines and access to many nearby ports in the tropical Caribbean Sea, is the world leader in cruise revenue.
The Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is an important player in the industry. The company welcomed over 4.6 million passengers in 2022 and also boasts five of the world’s largest cruise ships in its fleet. In fact, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has been making headlines recently because the cruise holding company is getting ready to launch the world’s largest cruise ship – Icon of the Seas – in January 2024. While some have labeled the colossal structure a ‘monstrosity’, citing its vast climate footprint, others are in awe of the sophisticated engineering integrated into this luxurious floating holiday destination and are flocking to buy tickets.
The company is also moving ahead with the development of the first Royal Beach Club in the Bahamas this year after receiving approval from the government. Crafted in close collaboration with the Bahamian government, the new project will feature a public-private partnership in which Bahamians will be invited to own up to 49% equity.
Sustainable tourism can be defined as a kind of tourism that has more benefits than negative impacts, especially relating to the environment, the economy, and communities. The popularity of beaches as an ideal getaway leads to overflowing masses of tourists every year, putting the coastal and marine environment at risk.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) is among the most recognizable names in the hospitality industry. The Virginia-based company manages and franchises a broad portfolio of the best beach resorts and oceanfront hotels, steps away from some of the most picturesque waterfronts in the world. Hilton’s Corporate Responsibility strategy aims to redefine and advance sustainable travel globally, and by 2030, the company plans to double its social impact investment and cut its environmental footprint by half. From preserving mangroves in Cura?ao to avoiding single-use plastics in Cancun, ecotourism is already the way of the future for Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT).
With coral bleaching occurring in tropical regions such as Seychelles, the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa has partnered with the Marine Conservation Society and local environmental organizations to tackle the grave issue. These measures include maintaining coral reef nurseries, where guests are encouraged to visit newly grown coral in its tanks before it is replanted, or take a guided snorkeling trail around the nurseries. Guests can even ‘adopt’ corals through the Marine Conservation Society to support the project, totaling over 300 adoptions to date. As a result of their various impact tourism programs, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa and Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa have become the first Hilton hotels in the Africa and Indian Ocean region to be certified by Green Globe.
With that said, here are the Countries with the Best Beachesin 2023.
25 Countries with the Best Beaches
A traveler walking along a white-sand beach, a luxury resort in the background.
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to a number of sources such as Lonely Planet and Travel + Leisure, among other sources. We also went to Reddit, looking for the Countries with the Most Beautiful Beaches in the World. We picked countries that appeared at least thrice in our research, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When two countries had the same score, we ranked them by the number of tourists they received in 2022.
The South Pacific nation of Cook Islands registered significant growth in tourist arrivals last year when it received 121,000 visitors, compared to the Covid-19 border-closure affected years of 2020 and 2021, which both registered about 30,000 visitor arrivals. There are several encouraging signs that the 2023 season will be even busier – Hawaiian Airlines will be coming into Rarotonga, Air New Zealand will increase its flight numbers by 19% going into the winter season, and Jetstar is introducing direct flights from Sydney.
24. Fiji
Insider Monkey Score: 3
No. of Tourists in 2022: 636,312
Fiji is the most developed island state in Oceania in terms of tourism. The bulk of tourists come from Australia, followed by New Zealand, U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Asian region, including Japan.
Fiji’s economy, which shrank by around 20% in the wake of pandemic-related global travel restrictions, is strengthening as tourism and related service industries recover following reopening of borders in December 2021.
23. Maldives
Insider Monkey Score: 3
No. of Tourists in 2022: 1.68 million
Maldives once again secured the title of the World’s Leading Destination (among several other accolades) at the 2022 World Travel Awards, globally recognized as the hallmark of industry excellence. Tourism now contributes over 17% to the country’s GDP, generating 70% of all foreign currency earnings and 40% of the government revenue.
One of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, Jamaica is the stuff of tropical dreams – gorgeous beaches, lush rainforests, spectacular waterfalls, lazy rivers for rafting, and caves for exploring.
The number of tourists flocking to Jamaica’s sun-drenched beaches soared nearly 100% in the first three months of 2023, causing long queues and hours-long waits for arriving passengers at the island's main airport. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the problems at Sangster International Airport underscored the need to push through the $70 million modernization and expansion project that was already underway.
21. The Bahamas
Insider Monkey Score: 3
No. of Tourists in 2022: 7 million
The beaches of the Bahamas are indisputably the primary reason people visit these islands, as they offer endless stretches of white sand, turquoise waters, and a true tropical paradise.
Tourism makes up 50% of the Scenic Island Nation’s GDP, rising as high as 70% when factoring in tourism-related services and construction, and is expected to be the lifeblood of the Bahamian economy going forward.
20. Mauritius
Insider Monkey Score: 4
No. of Tourists in 2022: 1 million
Mauritius is famed for having some of the nicest beaches in the world, framed by stunning mountain landscapes and lush emerald terrain.
The island nation rolled out several initiatives in 2022 that contributed to its success as a destination. To attract digital nomads, Mauritius has introduced the Premium Travel Visa, which allows foreign nationals to live and work remotely from the country for a period of up to one year.
19. Iceland
Insider Monkey Score: 4
No. of Tourists in 2022: 1.89 million
The unearthly beaches of Iceland are very popular amongst tourists and locals alike. Due to the volcanic nature of the island, many of the country’s beaches are made up of jet-black sand.
Though receipts from tourism fell from $3.4 billion in 2019 to only $814 million in 2020, the Icelandic government invested heavily on marketing the destination during the pandemic. Opened to travel since June 2020, the country had a very low Covid case count, making it attractive for people who still wanted to travel amid the lockdowns.
18. Dominican Republic
Insider Monkey Score: 4
No. of Tourists in 2022: 8.5 million
Palm-studded, continuous diamond white beaches are synonymous with Punta Cana, but the Dominican Republic’s stunning beaches extend countrywide.
In 2022, the revenue generated by the tourism sector in the Dominican Republic amounted to approximately $8.4 billion, growing by roughly 48% compared to the previous year. The resort town of Punta Cana in the DR ranks among the Top 10 Beaches in the Caribbean.
17. Costa Rica
Insider Monkey Score: 5
No. of Tourists in 2022: 2.12 million
With coastlines on the Pacific and Caribbean, Costa Rica is home to some of the prettiest beaches in the world. The country’s beaches have something for everyone, from gentle swimming holes to huge breaks perfect for adventurous surfers.
Costa Rica receives more than 1.7 million tourists per year, the majority of whom come from the United States and Canada, while annual earnings from the tourism industry can amount to over $1.7 billion.
16. Scotland
Insider Monkey Score: 5
No. of Tourists in 2022: 3.2 million
Scotland is an amazing destination that tourists always find enthralling. You can find idyllic beaches all over the country, from the southeast coast of East Lothian to the far reaches of the Outer Hebrides.
Tourism is one of the seven growth industries in Scotland, contributing more than $4.9 billion to the economy each year. Nature-based tourism is estimated to contribute nearly 40% of all tourism spending in the country, while supporting 39,000 jobs.
15. Thailand
Insider Monkey Score: 5
No. of Tourists in 2022: 11.15 million
Thailand is undoubtedly one of the best beach destinations in the world. Though there is beauty to be uncovered in all corners of this friendly nation, the island areas of Phuket and Koh Samui are among the most adored.
Every year, the Thai government takes extreme measures to protect the most heavily-visited regions of the country by closing them to tourists. The biggest example of this is when Thailand closed Maya Bay, which became very popular after it featured in the movie ‘The Beach’, starring Leonardo di Caprio.
14. Spain
Insider Monkey Score: 5
No. of Tourists in 2022: 71.6 million
Not only flamenco dancing, football clubs, monumental buildings, stunning art, and distinctive folklore, but Spain is also popular for its fascinating beaches. With the Spanish coastline stretching 3,576 miles, there are countless options around the country.
Earlier this year, the Spanish government approved the spending of $1.4 million to prepare the Costa del Sol’s beaches for the summer season. The work mainly consisted of adding sand, profiling the coastline, and removing elements exposed by the waves on some 39 beaches.
Spain ranks among the Countries with the Most Picturesque Beaches.
13. French Polynesia
Insider Monkey Score: 6
No. of Tourists in 2022: 260,000
The Southern Pacific country of French Polynesia includes some of the most beautiful islands in the world, like Bora Bora, Mo’orea, and Tahiti. Even during the pandemic, the islands only shut down for two 2-month periods, so tourism remained relatively strong, especially from its two main markets – the U.S. and France.
12. Tanzania
Insider Monkey Score: 6
No. of Tourists in 2022: 1.45 million
The African water spirits blessed Tanzania with more than 885 miles of coastline, dusted with white powder sands, kissed by the African sun, and lapped by azure waves.
Tourism is the flagship economic sector in the Zanzibar archipelago, which accounts for about 27% of GDP, around 80% of foreign exchange earnings, and an estimated 60,000 jobs.
11. India
Insider Monkey Score: 6
No. of Tourists in 2022: 6.19 million
India is home to many beautiful and popular beaches that are thronged by visitors almost throughout the year. Beaches, found in popular destinations such as Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa, Kerala, and Odisha, are vital assets for the South Asian country's tourism industry.