The travel and tourism industry is among the largest in the world. It's worth about £1.7 trillion ($2.3tn), in fact, and according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in the last full year before the pandemic there were more international arrivals than ever before – 1.5 billion. So as global tourism continues to bounce back (it's not there yet, but it's close), we take a look at some of the most surprising facts and figures illustrating the scale of modern-day travel, including what is currently the world's most powerful passport.
The most-visited country in the world in 2022 was France, with 66.6 million international tourist arrivals. Spain claimed top spot during a pandemic-hit 2021, knocking France off its perch for the first time in years, but now must once again settle for second. According to recent predictions, France's market share is only set to grow, with the country welcoming 93.7 million tourists by 2025.
Almost eight million people – a staggering figure equal to nearly the entire population of Switzerland – visited the Louvre in Paris in 2022, making it the most visited museum in the world by some margin. Attendance is still down 19% compared to the pre-pandemic peak, however. Other big hitters include the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the National Museum of China in Beijing and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), around 4.5 billion people flew on commercial flights in 2019, reaching an all-time high. The Asia-Pacific region was the busiest, carrying 34.7% of the global passengers, with Europe and North America following on 26.8% and 22.2% respectively. After plummeting during the pandemic, 2022 saw total passenger numbers top three billion, slowly creeping back towards pre-pandemic levels.
FlightRadar24 data shows that the peak number of planes ever recorded to fly in a single day was on Thursday 25 July 2019, when 230,000 aircraft took to the skies. The figure represents almost every trackable aircraft in the world, but excludes sensitive air traffic like military flights, meaning that the actual number could be much higher.
Boeing and Airbus have long fought to produce the world's most popular plane. For a long time the title was held by Boeing's 737 jetliner, which is the best-selling commercial jet airliner of all time with more than 10,000 models built and sold. However, its direct competitor, the Airbus A320, overtook the 737 in scheduled flights in late 2019, and Boeing orders have trailled Airbus every year since.
Currently, the world's longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight is the Singapore Airlines route between Singapore and JFK in New York City (flights SQ23 and SQ24). The flight takes nearly 19 hours to complete and covers 9,537 miles (15,347km). This might not be the longest flight for much longer though, as Qantas is firmly set on adding to its non-stop services from New York and London to Perth by launching NYC and London to Sydney. Codenamed Project Sunrise, the flights are expected to at least pass the 19-hour mark.
Which airline is largest depends on how you define 'largest'. As of January 2022, American Airlines boasts the largest fleet with 933 individual planes and the most employees with 133,700 on the payroll. However, US rival Delta Air Lines boasts the beefiest revenues, raking in £26.6 billion ($35.1bn) annually, and holds a chart-topping £57 billion ($73.7bn) in assets.
For more than 20 years, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) kept its top spot as the world's busiest airport, but as global passenger numbers dropped by 64.6% due to the pandemic in 2020, Atlanta lost top spot. The world's busiest airport was briefly Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, which serviced more than 43 million passengers in 2020, but it wasn't to last. Atlanta regained its crown in 2021 (Guangzhou dropped to 8th) and kept it in 2022, with more than 90 million total passengers.
The shortest scheduled airline flight is from the Scottish island of Westray to its neighbouring island, Papa Westray. The flight, operated by Loganair, takes an average of one-and-a-half minutes from take-off to landing and covers 1.7 miles (2.7km) – almost the same length as the runway at Edinburgh Airport.
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A popular story often shared among budding entrepreneurs is that by removing one olive from each salad in first class nearly 30 years ago, American Airlines saved an astonishing £32,119 ($40k) a year. It has also been rumoured that Northwest Airlines (before it was merged with Delta), saved half a million dollars by cutting their limes into 16 slices rather than 10.
The largest passenger plane in the world is the Airbus A380. It’s a double-decker, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner that provides seating for more than 500 people in a typical three-class configuration (economy, business and first class) or up to 853 seats in an all-economy setting. The aircraft is no longer produced by Airbus and the last delivery of an A380 took place in December 2021, when the last of these double-decker giants was delivered to Emirates.
An innovative plane with a wingspan of 385 feet (117m), the Stratolaunch Roc is wider than an American football field. The double-fuselage plane is designed to carry and launch experimental hypersonic vehicles and rockets mid-air. In October 2022, the Stratolaunch successfully carried its first hypersonic vehicle passenger to an altitude of 23,000 feet (7,010m) above California's Mojave Desert. It's hoped this test flight will pave the way for an official rollout of Stratolaunch's hypersonic vehicles in the near future.
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship on the ocean when it sets off on its maiden voyage in January 2024. It's a whopping 1,198 feet (365m) in length, with 20 decks and 2,350-strong crew. Some 7,600 passengers can be accommodated onboard, who can enjoy seven swimming pools and more than 40 restaurants. It takes the crown from sister ship Wonder of the Seas, which has a length of 1,187 feet (362m), 18 decks and a crew of 2,300.
For those who just can't get enough of cruising, Royal Caribbean International is launching the Ultimate World Cruise: 274 nights on board Serenade of the Seas, visiting all seven continents, more than 150 destinations in 65 countries and 11 great wonders of the world. The epic journey, which sets sail from Miami in December 2023, is tipped as the world's longest cruise and, unsurprisingly, doesn't come cheap – prices start at around £45,400 ($61,000).
Located aboard one of the most expensive cruise ships in the world, the Regent Suite is a whooping 4,443-square-foot (412sqm) living space that's dubbed to be the most luxurious (and the most expensive) cruise ship suite. Although the ship, Seven Seas Grandeur, isn't due to sail until November 2023, tickets for the suite are already on sale, setting prospective cruisers back £8,161 ($11,000) a night. The suite can host up to six guests, has a private dining room and comes with its own butler and a treatment room with unlimited complimentary spa services.
With two scheduled trains, an express leaving once every two days and a usual service departing daily, the Trans-Siberian route from Moscow to Vladivostok is the longest direct train journey in the world. The journey covers 5,752 miles (9,259km), crosses eight time zones and takes 166 hours (144 hours on the express) to complete, which is equivalent to almost a full week. The train has 142 stops and passes through 87 cities and towns.
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On 30 October 2022, Switzerland set a new Guinness World Record by completing a journey with the world's longest train. The gargantuan vehicle, which measures 1.2 miles (1.9km) in length and consists of 100 coaches, made a one-off 15.5-mile (25km) passage along a UNESCO-recognised stretch of track between Preda and Bergün. It's not an easy journey, with 48 bridges, 22 tunnels and numerous winding curves along the way. The record was accomplished to recognise the 175th anniversary of the first Swiss railway and celebrate the country's history of impressive engineering.
Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland is not only the longest but also the deepest railway tunnel in the world. It runs for 35.5 miles (57.1km) with a maximum depth of 8,040 feet (2,450m) – that’s eight times the height of The Shard in London. The tunnel provides a high-speed link under the Swiss Alps between central and southern Europe.
Greyhound buses in North America cover 48 US states, 31 Mexican states and three Canadian provinces, carrying around 16 million passengers a year who travel a combined five billion miles annually. The 1,700-vehicle fleet offers more than 245,000 city pair combinations across their network, making it the biggest intercity bus company in the world.
The Pan-American Highway, stretching across the American continents, is the world's longest motorable road. The highway links the north of Alaska with the glacial tip of Argentina via the American West, Central America and the west coast of South America. It totals around 19,000 miles (30,000km) in length. Driving an average of eight hours a day, it would take around three months to drive it. However, travellers usually take anywhere between six and 18 months to complete it, making regular detours and stop-offs.
The largest hotel in the world is the First World Hotel in Genting in Malaysia, with a total of 7,351 rooms. The three-star hotel has two towers of 24 and 28 floors, and is situated at the heart of Resorts World Genting. The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas isn't far behind, with 7,117 rooms and suites.
With an incredible 1.38 million rooms worldwide, Marriott International is by far the largest hotel chain in the world. Established in 1927, the company has more than 7,300 properties and owns brands like Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Sheraton and MOXY Hotels among many others. Although the Chinese company Jin Jiang owns the most properties in the world – more than 10,000 – it trails in second when it comes to the total number of rooms with just over one million.
Opened in June 2021, J Hotel is the world's highest hotel. Located in the top 26 floors of the Shanghai Tower, the hotel offers stunning panoramas across the city, including the Yangtze River and Shanghai's financial district. The tower itself is 2,073 feet (632m) tall and boasts an impressive 128 floors – a height only beaten by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The luxury hotel offers an around-the-clock butler service to all guests and there are seven restaurants (including one on the 120th floor), multiple bars and a spa and swimming pool with floor-to-ceiling windows on the 84th floor.
Approximately £1.3 million ($1.6m) worth of coins were tossed into the Trevi Fountain in Rome each year before the pandemic. The money was usually collected and donated to the Catholic charity, Caritas, to help the city's poor and homeless. In recent years, Rome's Mayor Virginia Raggi was said to be interested in using the funds for maintenance of cultural sites, but after a long-standing row with the Catholic Church, it's been confirmed that the money will continue to go to charity.
According to skyscrapercenter.com, Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world, with 553 buildings taller than 492 feet (150m). Chinese city Shenzhen’s skyline is dominated by 364 high-rises while New York City takes the third spot with 309, leaving Dubai in fourth with 251.
Currently, the highest observation deck in the world is located in Shanghai, nearly 2,000 feet (546m) above ground in the Shanghai Tower. The express lift to the Top of Shanghai Observatory takes only 55 seconds even though it ascends to the 118th floor. If the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is ever finished, it'll take the crown and will also become the world's tallest building.
Opened in Dubai in 2021, Ain Dubai is the world's largest observation wheel. Located on the Bluewaters Island development, the wheel is 820 feet (250m) high, which is 269 feet (82m) taller than the previous record-holder, the High Roller in Las Vegas. The jaw-dropping structure is dotted by 48 passenger cabins where up to 1,750 people can ride it at any given time. The structure's hub and spindle weigh the same as four A380 planes, while the spokes, placed together end-to-end, would stretch from Dubai to Cairo.
Located in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, this remarkable lift inspired the otherworldly landscapes of Pandora in Avatar and celebrated its 20th birthday in 2022. Touted as the world's tallest outdoor lift, the Bailong Elevator is built into a side of a cliff and whisks visitors up over 1,000 feet (326m) to marvel at the unique karst formations. It consists of three double-decker lifts and each trip takes around two minutes.
Since 1973, it has been possible to ski the interlinked valleys of Les Trois Vallées in the French Alps using just one ski pass, making it the largest ski area in the world with 370 miles (600km) of slopes. As implied by the name, it originally consisted of three valleys – Saint-Bon, Allues and Belleville – but now encompasses a fourth one, Maurienne, as well. The area includes such famous ski resorts as Courchevel and Val Thorens.
Located in Lijiang in China, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the highest ski resort worldwide. Its highest point reaches an elevation of nearly 15,500 feet (4,700m), which is half the height of Mount Everest.
According to the US National Park Service, the most visited national park in the country is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which drew in more than 14 million visitors in 2021 – nearly three times the number of the second most popular park. Most see the park from its scenic highway, while others take to its 800-plus miles (1,287km) of hiking trails. Zion came in second with 5 million visitors ahead of Yellowstone with 4.9 million.
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Voted the best amusement park in the world in Amusement Today's 2022 Golden Ticket Awards, Europa-Park in Germany normally welcomes 5.7 million visitors every year. Deemed the best by a jury of industry fans, suppliers, manufacturers and journalists, the park is divided into themed areas, many of which represent various European countries like Austria, England, France and Italy.
If you're looking for a quiet family break, you won't find it at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Hosting around 17.13 million people in 2022, the park was the world's most visited amusement park.
Japan topped the list of the world's strongest passports for five years on the trot, but it has been knocked off the pedestal for summer 2023. According to global passport ranking the Henley Passport Index, the new titleholder is Singapore, whose citizens can visit an impressive 193 destinations across the globe without a visa. Japan has moved down to third place, while Germany, Italy and Spain are all in second.
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