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International tourism is booming in 2014 and is on pace to achieve record numbers.
According to a press release from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) this week, international tourism is projected to reach a record of more than 1.1 billion travelers by year's end.
The volume of international tourists, considered overnight visitors, reached 978 million between January and October 2014. That figure is 45 million higher than the same 10-month period in 2013.
"In view of this trend, international tourism is set to end 2014 with record numbers," said UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai. "These are remarkable results considering that different parts of the world continue to face significant geopolitical and health challenges, while the global economic recovery remains rather fragile and uneven."
"More importantly, we see a growing political commitment to the tourism sector in many countries. This is encouraging, not in the least because tourism is one of the sectors that is best able to deliver on employment at a moment when job creation need to be a priority to all," Rifai added.
Breaking it down by region, the Americas saw the strongest growth over the first 10 months of 2014, at eight percent. Asia and the Pacific recorded five percent growth and Europe wasn't far behind at four percent.
North American (nine percent) and South Asia (eight percent) were subregion standouts. Meanwhile, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, North-East Asia and Northern Europe each saw seven percent growth.
The Middle East is rebounding from recent declines, with an estimated four percent growth through the first 10 months in 2014, while Africa has seen three percent growth over that time despite the challenges posed by this year's Ebola Outbreak.
The UNWTO will reveal preliminary results for the entire year by Jan. 27.
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