It appears the world was on the move like never before in 2014, as the latest figures out of the UN’s World Tourism Organization show international travel is set to hit a new record by the end of the year with more than 1.1 billion people crossing oceans and borders.
During the first 10 months of 2014, the number of international tourists reached 978 million - 45 million or 5 percent more than the same period of 2013.
Growth was strongest in the Americas (+8 percent), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+5%) and Europe (+4%).
As UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai pointed, the results are remarkable given the geopolitical turmoil and health crises that befell the world in 2014, notably Ebola.
Likewise, the global economic recovery remains unstable and fragile, he added.
Between January and October, the Americas posted their best results in a decade following the 2003 SARS outbreak, with particularly strong performances by North America and Mexico.
All subregions -- North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America -- doubled their growth rates from 2013.
In Asia and the Pacific, South Asia posted the best results, reporting an increase of 8 percent in international arrivals, led by India (+7 percent).
In North-East Asia, destinations like Japan and South Korea registered double-digit growth.
Overall, international arrivals in Asia increased by 5 percent in October.
Arrivals in Oceania grew by 6 percent, while growth slowed significantly in Southeast Asia (+2 percent) compared to the 2012-2013 period. The slowdown is attributed to a decline in arrivals registered in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Europe, the most visited region in the world, posted a 4 percent increase in international tourist arrivals.
Established holiday destinations like Greece, Portugal, Spain and Malta recorded "robust" growth.
One notable finding this year is that growth in Central and Eastern Europe was stagnant (0 percent) in 2014, compared to an impressive average growth rate of 8 percent a year over the last three years.
International tourism in Western Europe grew a modest 2 percent this year.
And finally, international visits grew 4 percent in the Middle East, while Africa experienced a modest increase of 3 percent.
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