The tourism industry set a new record with an additional 1.1 billion visitors.

According to the latest figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the international tourism industry set a new record with an additional 1.1 billion people traveling abroad in 2014.

Tourist numbers reached 1.1 billion in 2014. (Source: AFP)

As of October this year, the total number of international tourists reached 978 million, an increase of 45 million, or 5%, compared to the same period last year. Growth was highest in the Americas (8%), followed by Asia (5%) and Europe (4%).

According to UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, this result is noteworthy given the geopolitical instability, the complex Ebola epidemic situation, and the unsustainable global economic recovery in 2014.

From January to October, the Americas, particularly North America and Mexico, set a decade-long tourism record following the SARS outbreak in 2003. Tourism growth in regions such as North America, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America doubled compared to 2013.

In the Asia-Pacific region, South Asia, led by India, saw the highest growth in outbound tourist arrivals. In Northeast Asia, destinations such as Japan and South Korea also experienced double-digit growth.

Foreign tourist arrivals in Oceania increased by 6%, while growth slowed in Southeast Asia (2%) compared to the same period in 2012-2013. This decline is believed to be related to the instability in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Europe, the world's most popular tourist destination, saw a % increase in tourist arrivals over the past year. Popular destinations such as Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Malta experienced the most significant growth.

Notably, the number of visitors to Central and Eastern Europe showed absolutely no growth (0%), compared to the impressive average growth rate of 8% per year over the past three years. Foreign tourist arrivals to Western Europe increased slightly by 2%.

In East Asia, this figure was 4%, while in Africa, the number of tourists increased by 4% in 2014.

According to Vietnam+