International tourism grew by seven percent in 2017

International tourism grew by 7 percent in 2017, exceeding 1.3 billion travelers in the world, which outpaces the expectations, according to a statement published on Monday by the Madrid- based World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The organization emphasized that this is the largest annual growth for the last seven years, which may continue in 2018, albeit at a moderate pace of 4-5 percent.

“International travel continues to grow vigorously, consolidating the tourism sector as the engine of economic development. As the third export industry in the world, tourism is essential for job creation and growth throughout the world” – Zurab Pololikashvili, the secretary general of the organization said. (Fehér Krisztina, MTI)