5 Facts: Global Jet Set

Since the mid-20th century, the number of international tourists has grown rapidly.

August 30, 2014

Author

The Globalist

1. In 1950, there were about 25 million international tourists (as measured by the number of international tourist arrivals).

2. That was equal to about 1% of the 2.5 billion world population at the time.

3. By 1980, the number of international tourists had jumped to 278 million, more than ten times the number in 1950 – and equal to 6% of the 4.4 billion world population in 1980.

4. In 2013, there were 1.09 billion international tourists – equal to 15% of the 7.2 billion world population.

5. The number is expected to rise to 1.8 billion by 2030, or about 20% of the then-8.8 billion world population.

Source: World Tourism Organization, Tourism Highlights (2014 Edition)

Takeaways

In 1950, there were about 25 million international tourists – in 2013 there were 1.09 billion.

The number is expected to rise to 1.8 billion by 2030, or about 20% of the global population.