BANGKOK, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The World Tourism Organization says 2004 marked an all time high in international tourism, reaching 760 million arrivals.
The U.N. agency said Wednesday that "after three difficult years" the international tourism barometer showed a 10 percent increase.
The jump was measured in arrivals at international tourist destinations, led by Asia and the Pacific region where levels rose 29 percent over 2003. Tourism in the Americas was up 10 percent, Africa increased 7 percent and Western Europe experienced a 4 percent growth in tourism during the same period.
The Bangkok-based tourism organization said factors such as Asia's rebound from SARS and the U.S. dollar versus the euro exchange rates were factors in the redistribution of tourists.
The tourism measurements came sandwiched between Tuesday's launch of a plan aimed at revitalizing tourism in the Indian Ocean basin and the expected arrival of the 38 millionth visitor to U.N. Headquarters in New York, expected early this month.
