World’s Top Tourism Destinations – Final 2004 International Tourism Numbers for 2004.

The numbers on international tourism tell an interesting story. The post 9/11 tourism figures show a marked decrease or slight change for Europe, while the America’s had a significant uptick. China and Hong Kong showed a huge increase. I wonder for China whether the increase was due to tourism or  business travelers?

Country              Arrivals Million    Percentage Change

1 France                   75.1              0.1%

2 Spain                      53.6              3.4%

3 United States           46.1             11.8%

4 China                       41.8            26.7%

5 Italy                          37.1             -6.4%

6 United Kingdom        27.8            12.3%

7 Hong Kong (China)  21.8            40.4%

8 Mexico                     20.6             10.5%

9 Germany                  20.1              9.5%

10 Austria                    19.4              1.5%

Source: The World Tourism Organization