The travel and tourism industry is one of the most competitive in the world. In 2024, its direct contribution to global GDP reached approximately £8.1 trillion ($10.9tn), accounting for roughly 10% of the world's economy. With an enormous 357 million jobs supported by the sector and tourist arrivals increasing, 2025 looks set to be even bigger.

Click through this gallery for some surprising stats and facts about the modern travel industry, from the world's largest hotel to the most powerful passport...

*This gallery is regularly checked and updated.

The most visited country in the world in 2024 was France, with roughly 100 million international tourist arrivals. The country also topped the list in 2023 and 2022, while Spain claimed top spot during a pandemic-hit 2021. Spain finished second in 2024 with 94 million arrivals, while the United States rounded out the podium with 72.4 million. Italy, Turkey and Mexico followed, in that order.

Around 8.7 million people – a staggering figure roughly equal to the population of Switzerland – visited the Louvre in Paris in 2024, making it the most visited museum in the world by some margin. That number is still not as high as it was before the pandemic in 2019, when 9.6 million people passed through its doors.

Other big hitters include Beijing's National Museum of China, the Vatican Museums in Rome and London's British Museum.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), around 4.5 billion passengers flew on commercial flights in 2019, reaching an all-time high. After plummeting during the pandemic, 2023 saw total passenger numbers top 4.3 billion, while 2024 recorded an estimated 4.8 billion – finally surpassing pre-pandemic totals. The United States remains the world's biggest market, with 876 million 2024 passengers.

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, but its direct competitor, the Airbus A320, overtook it in scheduled flights in late 2019. That same year saw the A320 family also overtake the 737 for total orders, and the 737 has trailed its rival on both metrics ever since.

Currently, the world's longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight is the Singapore Airlines route between Singapore and New York City (flights SQ23 and SQ24). The flight takes nearly 19 hours to complete and covers 9,537 miles (15,347km).

It might not remain the world's longest flight for much longer, however, as Qantas has spent years preparing to launch direct non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York. Codenamed Project Sunrise, the flights are expected to surpass the 19-hour mark, and are currently projected to debut in early 2027.

For more than 20 years, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) claimed top spot as the world's busiest airport. But when global passenger numbers dropped by 64.6% due to the pandemic in 2020, the title went briefly to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, which serviced more than 43 million passengers that year.

Atlanta regained its crown immediately in 2021 and has retained it ever since, serving 108.1 million passengers in 2024 – the second busiest year in its history.

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.

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 £32,000 ($40,000) a year. It has also been rumoured that Northwest Airlines (before it merged with Delta), saved half a million dollars by cutting 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 final A380 delivery took place in December 2021, when the last of these giant planes 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 hypersonic vehicles and rockets mid-air.

In October 2022, the Stratolaunch successfully carried its first hypersonic vehicle to an altitude of 23,000 feet (7,010m) above California's Mojave Desert. Many more tests have followed, and in June 2024 the plane reached a new-record operational altitude of 35,000 feet (10,700m).

Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas – two identical liners operated by Royal Caribbean – share the title of 'world's largest cruise ship'. Both boast 250,800 gross tonnage and room for 5,610 passengers at double occupancy, and debuted in January 2024 and August 2025 respectively.

At 1,198 feet (365m) in length, with a 2,350-strong crew, seven swimming pools and more than 40 restaurants, for sheer size the ships blow their competition out of the water. They took the crown from their sister ship Wonder of the Seas, which launched in 2022. It has a length of 1,187 feet (362m), 18 decks and a crew of 2,300.

For the most committed cruise fans, Royal Caribbean International served up the Ultimate World Cruise: a record-breaking 274-night journey aboard Serenade of the Seas. The voyage departed from Miami in December 2023 and returned on 10 September 2024, visiting more than 150 destinations in more than 65 countries across all seven continents.

Prices for the epic adventure started at around £45,000 ($61,000), and there are mutterings that a second world cruise is in the offing, though there is currently no information on possible dates.

The Trans-Siberian route from Moscow to Vladivostok in Russia 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 to complete – almost an entire week. The train has 142 stops and passes through 87 cities and towns.

On 30 October 2022, Switzerland set a new 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 Bergun.

It's not an easy journey, with 48 bridges, 22 tunnels and numerous winding curves. The journey marked the 175th anniversary of the first Swiss railway, and celebrated the country's history of engineering.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland is not only the longest but also the deepest railway tunnel in the world, stretching 35.5 miles (57km) with a maximum depth of 8,040 feet (2,450m) – eight times the height of The Shard in London.

It serves as a crucial high-speed link under the Swiss Alps, connecting central and southern Europe. Following a freight train derailment in August 2023, the tunnel was temporarily closed for extensive repairs. After more than a year of work, it fully reopened to rail traffic on 2 September 2024.

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, with a short gap around the Panamanian-Colombian border.

It totals around 19,000 miles (30,000km) and would take three months to drive with an average eight hours of driving per day. 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 3-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.

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 over the Yangtze River and the 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 and bars (including one on the 120th floor), plus a spa and swimming pool.

Approximately €1.5 million (£1.3m/$1.6m) worth of coins are tossed into the Trevi Fountain in Rome every year. The money is collected and donated to the Rome division of the Catholic charity Caritas, and now makes up 15% of the charity's annual budget.

Tradition holds that tourists should stand with their backs to the fountain and throw a coin into its water with their right hand over their left shoulder. The ritual supposedly guarantees the visitor's safe return to Rome.

According to skyscrapercenter.com, Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world, with 569 buildings taller than 492 feet (150m). Chinese city Shenzhen’s skyline is dominated by 460 high-rises, while New York City takes third place with 320. Dubai is fourth with 270 and China's Guangzhou rounds out the top five with 207.

Currently, the highest observation deck in the world is located in Shanghai – 1,841 feet (561m) 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 – 269 feet (82m) taller than the previous record-holder, the High Roller in Las Vegas.

A full rotation in one of its 48 passenger cabins takes around 40 minutes, and 1,750 people can ride it at any given time. In March 2022 the structure closed without warning, but it finally reopened in December 2024.

Located in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which inspired the otherworldly landscapes of Pandora in the film Avatar, this remarkable lift 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 Vallees 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 famous ski resorts like Courchevel and Val Thorens.

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 12.2 million visitors in 2024 – well over twice the number of the second most popular park. Some people see the park from its scenic highway, while others take to its 800-plus miles (1,300km) of hiking trails.

Zion National Park in Utah came in second with 4.95 million visitors, while Grand Canyon National Park scored third with 4.92 million.

Voted the best amusement park in the world in Amusement Today's 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, Europa-Park in Germany continues to enthral visitors with its vast collection of rides, immersive environments and world-class entertainment. This marks the 10th time Europa-Park has claimed top spot, beating strong contenders like Universal Epic Universe in Florida and Dollywood in Tennessee.

Europa-Park opened a new roller coaster in 2024. Voltron Nevera is a launched roller coaster themed around the electrical experiments of engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla.

If you're seeking a quiet family break, you definitely won’t find it at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. The park attracted a world-leading 17.7 million visitors in 2023, and estimates suggest that it topped the pile in 2024 as well. The park continues to draw massive crowds with its iconic attractions, events and experiences.

Beijing Daxing International Airport holds the title for the largest single-building airport terminal in the world. Spanning an impressive 7.5 million square feet (700,000sqm), it was designed by architect Zaha Hadid and opened in 2019. Dubbed 'The Starfish' due to its shape, the terminal can handle over 100 million passengers annually when operating at full capacity.

The world's most visited city in 2024 was Bangkok, Thailand, which attracted around 32 million visitors. Famed for its tranquil temples, vibrant food scene and throbbing nightlife, the city has become a cultural hub for the whole of Southeast Asia. Turkey's largest city Istanbul ranked second, with 23 million travellers, while UK capital London claimed third place, with 22 million.

Singapore topped the list of the world's strongest passports for the second year running in 2025, having knocked Japan off the top spot in 2024. According to global passport ranking the Henley Passport Index, Singapore's citizens can visit an impressive 192 destinations across the globe without a visa. South Korea came in second with 190 destinations, with Japan's 189 relegated to third.

Now discover the world's tallest record-breaking attractions...