T+-+tourism+growth

Tourism is the world's largest industry, worth $500 billion dollars in 2007. Leisure accounts for 75% of all international travel. There were nearly 900 million tourist travellers in 2007 and this is set to rise to a massive 1.6 billion by 2020. In most countries, domestic tourism (people going on holiday in their own country) is between four and five times greater than international tourism.
 * __Why has global tourism grown?__**

The tourism indstry is therefore one of the greatest providers of jobs and income in countries at different stages of development. The reliance of different parts of the world on tourism varies. For 83% of countries, touism is one of the top five sources of foreign exchange. The Caribbean countries get half their GDP from tourism. The top six destination countries are France, Spain, the USA, China, Italy and the UK. Germans spend more per person than any other nation on holiday, followed by Americans, British, French and Japanese.


 * __Factors affecting tourism's growth__**


 * Social and Economic factors**


 * Since the 1950s families have become wealthier. Incomes are larger and so is disposable income (the amount left to spend as you wish after essentials such as housing, food and bills are paid). Most families have two working parents whereas in the past there was only one.
 * People have less children: it is less expensive to take a small family on holiday than a large one.
 * Car ownership has grown meaing people can travel more easily to different tourist locations
 * People have more leisure time: in the 1950s people people only had two weeks holiday a year compared to between four and six today.
 * Life expectancy has increased which means people live longer so can visit more places
 * There are more reitred people due to better healthcare and they also have good pensions so could possibly afford several holidays a year and they have more time to travel


 * Improvements in technology**
 * travel is quick and easy - motorways, airport expansion and faster jet aircraft have all contributed to this
 * flying has become cheaper and booking online is quick and easy


 * Expansion of holiday choice**
 * during the 1950s and 1960s coastal resorts were popular and in the UK the National Parks were opening and offering new opportunities
 * the 1970s saw a decline in seaside holidays due to competition from cheap package holidays to mainland Europe, especially Spain
 * packages are now available to destinations all over the world that offer a huge variety of sight and activites

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