by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:14 PM ET, Tue April 24, 2018
When it comes to spending on international tourism, there is no country in the world that even comes close to China.
According to a report released today by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), China was the biggest spender on travel abroad in 2017 at $258 billion, a figure that represents an increase of five percent over the previous year.
The U.S. ranks a distant second at $135 billion spent on tourism abroad in 2017. That dollar figure is notable, however, as it is $12 billion more than was spent by American travelers in 2016 and is the largest increase of all countries included in the UNWTO report.
The countries rounding out the top five biggest spenders in 2017 include Germany ($84 billion), the UK ($63 billion) and France ($41 billion).
The good news for the travel industry, however, is that virtually all source markets reported higher tourism spending in 2017, according to the report. This is a reflection of enhanced connectivity, increased visa facilitation and a global economic upswing, according to the report.
The strong and growing demand for international tourism was witnessed across all regions of the world. Both emerging and advanced economies are fueling the growth, UNWTO said.
For instance, The Russian Federation and Brazil both rebounded in 2017 from several years of weaker spending.
The Russian Federation's spending was up 13 percent or $7 billion last year, reaching a total of $31 billion. That significant increase brought Russia back into the top ten spenders, at number eight.
Brazil meanwhile also made a strong recovery in 2017, increasing spending 20 percent or $5 billion to finish the year with $19 billion.
Another country on the move, India continued its rise in 2017 with nine percent growth in spending to reach $18 billion.
"Emerging economies play a key role in tourism development and we are very pleased to see the rebound of the Russian Federation and Brazil, and the ongoing rise of India, as these key emerging outbound markets contribute to growth and market diversification in many destinations," UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, said in a statement.
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