20 reasons it's great to be a tourist

But before you laugh at the starstruck look in their eyes or mock the clattering chaos of their attempts to follow a tour group leader, understand this: they don't care. They're having the time of their life -- and more people than ever are joining them. According to the latest UN's World Tourism Organization (WTO) figures, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.6% in the first half of this year. Some 517 million international tourists arrived at destinations between January and June 2014, 22 million more than in the same period in 2013, CNN reports. And we all know why. Being a tourist is awesome. So awesome that the WTO has set an annual day of observance to highlight tourism's social, cultural, political and economic value. In honor of World Tourism Day, celebrated September 27, we've compiled 20 reasons it's great to be a camera-toting out-of-towner with a sudden need to stand in line for a Renaissance art museum. What are your favorite things about being a tourist? Drop a note in the comments section below. 1. You can eat like a feudal lord every night, and still lose weight from all the walking. 2. Whether you're terrifying yourself on local transport or basting yourself in the sun next to a bag of beer, it beats what your friends are doing back home. 3. The guilt attached to not utilizing your gym membership is far less severe than it is back home.

4. Cold beers on the beach/in a hammock/in bed/in a bar in the middle of the afternoon? Don't mind if we do.

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