781 million tourists worldwide during first 8 months of 2014
PARIS. KAZINFORM From January through August of this year, there were around 36 million more international travelers than in the same period in 2013, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO). The total, of 781 million tourists over the eight months, represents a 5 percent year-on-year increase.
In the high season in the northern hemisphere, defined by the WTO as June to August, the number of travelers was 4 percent higher in 2014 than in the previous year. The growth trend was reflected across all regions, and the highest increases in international arrivals were seen in North America (+9%) and Southern Asia (+8%). Europe, Northeast Asia and South America were also among the top performers, each with an increase of 7 percent. For the entire year, the organization expects to see an increase of between 4 and 4.5 percent in international arrivals compared to 2013, Relaxnews reports.