MADRID, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The first 10 months of 2017 saw 1.12 billion people make international trips which involved an overnight stay, representing a 7 percent increase from the same period in 2016, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) confirmed on Thursday.
That 7 percent 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 percent across the region.
Africa as a whole enjoyed 8 percent growth, where there was 10 percent growth in south Asia and 8 percent 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."
