International tourism has seen a 4.6 per cent growth in the first half of 2014, as reported by the World Tourism Organisation.
This means that approximately 517 million international tourists, including those on solo holiday breaks, travelled between January and June, which is 22 million more than in the same period last year.
This follows the trend of a 5 per cent growth each year since 2010, currently exceeding the World Tourism Organisation’s long-term forecast, which predicts a 3.8 per cent growth each year between 2010 and 2020.
The Americas have so far led the tourism growth, experiencing a 6 per cent increase in tourists. This includes North America, which was boosted by those visiting Mexico and the Caribbean islands, which saw a 5 per cent increase.
As the most visited continent in the world, Europe’s 5 per cent increase continued its strong growth, reflecting improved consumer confidence. Africa also saw an increase of 3 per cent, with North Africa’s tourism increasing 4 per cent alone.
Image Credit: Dennis Jarvis (Flickr.com)
