World Tourism Organisation (WTO) data for 1999 show that 663 million people spent at least
one night in a foreign country, up 4.1 per cent over the previous year. Spending on international
tourism reached US$453 billion — a growth rate of nearly 3 per cent over 1998. These results
are in line with WTO's long-term growth forecast Tourism: 2020 Vision which predicts that the
Reasons for this sustained growth include greater disposable income in tourism generating
countries, and, especially in some of the emerging economies of Asia, more leisure time, earlier
retirement, improvements in infrastructure and transport (particularly air transport), and changes
in consumer spending preferences.