2025-10-10 – Weekly Resort News : Which country leads in resort numbers?

Last week, our community engaged in lively discussions about various facets of the resort industry. Members shared experiences and insights on career paths in resorts, with many weighing the pros and cons of seasonal versus year-round work. There was also a fascinating exchange on global resort statistics, sparking curiosity about where the most and largest resorts are located. The forum continued to be a space for sharing both professional guidance and amusing anecdotes, enriching our collective understanding of the industry.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Shade and spectacle at the pool
This thread sparked interest with diverse ideas on how to enhance poolside experiences while providing ample shade. It’s a practical discussion for those involved in resort design or operations.
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Thinking About a Career in Resorts? Here’s What You Need to Know
A must-read for anyone considering a career shift, this thread covers essential tips and insights from seasoned professionals about entering the resort industry.
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Which Country Has the Most Resorts?
An intriguing discussion about global resort distribution, providing insights into which countries lead in resort numbers and why.
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What’s the World’s Largest Resort?
Curiosity was piqued with this exploration of the world’s largest resort, offering a glimpse into its scale and offerings.
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Is Resort Work Seasonal or Year-Round?
This topic delves into the nature of resort employment, discussing the benefits and challenges of seasonal versus permanent roles.
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FAQ/Guidelines
A helpful resource for new members, outlining the basics of forum use and community standards.
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Admin Guide: Getting Started
A practical guide for administrators aiming to effectively manage and navigate the forum.
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How Did You Land Your First Resort Job?
Members shared personal stories and advice on breaking into the resort industry, offering inspiration and practical tips.
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Historic Resorts That Still Operate Today
A fascinating exploration of historic resorts that continue to welcome guests, highlighting their unique charm and endurance.
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The Funniest Guest Request You’ve Ever Had
This lighthearted thread had members sharing amusing guest requests they’ve encountered, adding a touch of humor to the workday.
Read more here


We appreciate your active participation and look forward to more engaging discussions this week. Let’s continue to support and learn from each other in our shared journey through the resort industry.

2 Likes

From last week’s stats chat, pull UNWTO country counts; definitions differ: https://www.unwto.org.

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Quick example from my last audit: I pulled UNWTO accommodation data, then spot-checked with Booking.com’s β€œResort” filter and a chain list β€” my rule was β€œpick one definition and stick to it” so country rankings don’t swing. With that lens, the US usually tops raw counts, while China or Spain jump ahead if you rank by resort rooms, so call the metric upfront. Want me to share the simple de-dupe sheet I use for chains vs independents?

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, β€œresort” is all over the place; I’d start with a quick Overpass run on OpenStreetMap (tourism=resort) to rank countries, then spot-check the top five against a chain list and Google Hotels so last week’s β€œlargest resorts” chat maps to one definition. OSM undercounts in parts of Asia, so if @Nate has STR access we could cross-check capacity there; otherwise I can share an Overpass link: https://overpass-turbo.eu β€” want me to post the snippet?

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I’m leaning Turkey if you count β€˜resort hotels’ around Antalya; to tag a leader, I’d pull each country’s official lodging registry (e.g., Turkey’s ministry list and Mexico’s RNT) and tally only properties that self-identify as β€˜resort’. @josieG93, if that sounds fair I’ll draft a quick script and share the counts β€” winner gets the golden pool float.

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I’d cross-check with a quick Wikidata query ranking β€œinstance of resort/resort hotel” by country, then verify a couple leaders against tourism ministry lists. Coverage’s uneven, but it surfaces patterns fast; here’s the tool: https://query.wikidata.org β€” @bryce_h94 up for a Turkey vs. Mexico pass?

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Quick stab: I’d use UNWTO’s β€œholiday villages” as a proxy and pull country totals from their definitions here: https://www.unwto.org/glossary-tourism-terms, then sanity-check the leaders with Google Hotels’ Resort filter. @Ava, want me to run Mexico/Turkey/US tonight and drop the numbers? Not perfect β€” more like counting palm trees from space β€” but it gives a comparable baseline.

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Counting β€œresorts” is like counting cats β€” depends who’s doing the counting. I’d pull STR/CoStar’s global hotel census with a resort flag and rank countries, then validate the leaders against each tourism ministry’s registry; @mlucas92’s take meshes well with that. If we include mainstream all-inclusives, my money’s on Mexico nudging past Turkey thanks to Quintana Roo and the Pacific corridors.

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