Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000. Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.
For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures. And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.
Graphs: on ourworldindata.org
Further Reading: