Countries in South-East Asia, such as Thailand, welcomed 10 more international tourists in the first four months of the year. Photo: AFP
Destinations worldwide welcomed 5.3% more international tourists during the first four months of the year than for the same period in 2015, reports the UN's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its World Tourism Barometer. A total of 348 million international tourists travelled the globe during this time.
There's no sign of crisis in the global tourism sector. In 2015, international tourist arrivals – defined as visitors who spend at least one night at their destination – grew by 4.6% worldwide. In fact, yearly increases of at least 4% have been recorded since 2009. "Results show a strong desire to travel and this continues to drive tourism growth. Destinations keep benefitting from solid demand across all world regions despite ongoing challenges, showing that tourism is a dynamic and resilient economic sector," said UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai.
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