Last year was a landmark year for world tourism.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of cross-border tourism arrivals rose 4.4 percent to a record 1.18 billion.
Inbound travel to the Caribbean and Central America countries jumped 7 percent, while arrivals to Australia, New Zealand and other South Pacific nations saw the same increase.
Inbound tourism to Central and Eastern Europe bumped up by 6 percent, and Middle East travel went up 3 percent. Africa’s inbound tourism actually dropped 3 percent.
According to Travel Weekly, factors contributing to the rise include continued increase in outbound Chinese tourism, falling oil prices, and a strong U.S. dollar.
