The first 10 months of 2017 saw 1.12 billion people make international trips that involved an overnight stay, representing a 7% increase from the same period in 2016, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) confirmed on Thursday.
That 7% rise translates into 70 million new international arrivals, with results driven by "sustained growth in many destinations and a firm recovery in those which experienced declines last year".
The UNWTO highlights the performances in southern and Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East, which the organization describes as showing "extraordinary strength," with growth exceeding 7% across the region, Globaltimes.cn reported.
Africa as a whole enjoyed 8% growth, while there was 10% growth in South Asia and 8% in Southeast Asia.
"These robust results, the best we have seen in many years, reflect the sustained demand for travel around the world, in line with the improved global economy and the rebound of destinations that suffered declines in previous years," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai in a press communique.
Rifai stressed the benefits of sustainable tourism for development, saying tourism "brings benefits to local communities and visitors through the promotion of peace and mutual understanding" and "respect for cultural heritage and values".
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