Advertisement

Travel World Cup: Spain pips Portugal to top spot in Group B

Spain were the clear leaders in our poll, with 45 per cent of the vote - (C)2016 Chiara Salvadori, all rights reserved
Spain were the clear leaders in our poll, with 45 per cent of the vote - (C)2016 Chiara Salvadori, all rights reserved

As the world debates VAR decisions and the various merits of Messi and Ronaldo, here at Telegraph Travel we want to know which of the 32 participating nations is the best holiday spot.

To find out, we are pitting the countries against each other in our Twitter #TravelWorldCup.

The Group B results are now in, and Spain has solidified its status as Britain’s favourite holiday destination, with an impressive 45 per cent of the vote, with more than a thousand respondents opting for the Iberian nation.

Neighbouring Portugal came in second with 32 per cent of the vote, meaning it qualifies for the second round. Iran managed a mild shock in the group, taking 12 per cent of the vote compared to Morocco’s 11 per cent. This, despite Morocco receiving more than double the number of annual international arrivals than Iran.

Group B nations | Annual international arrivals (in millions)
Group B nations | Annual international arrivals (in millions)

Spain were firm favourites to win this group. The country is the most popular holiday destination for UK tourists, with more than 18 million people visiting last year. This is partly down to the fall in tourists to destinations like Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey, which have each had significant security concerns in recent years.

Portugal is a worthy second place. In recent year, the country has reported consecutive record figures for overseas arrivals. More than 12.7 million international travellers visited the country in 2017 – up 12 per cent year-on-year.

19 reasons why Spain is the world's greatest holiday destination
19 reasons why Spain is the world's greatest holiday destination

The results mean we can announce the first pairings of the knock-out stages. Spain will face Uruguay - a tourism behemoth versus its laid-back Hispanic cousin - and Portugal will face Egypt.

But we still have the rest of the groups to decide, and the battle for Group C is now underway.

Which country gets your vote for the best destination in the world? Vote now and the results will be announced on Twitter at 1pm on Tuesday June 19.