World tourism numbers hit new record in 2015 despite attack fears

The number of international tourists rose by 4.4 percent worldwide in 2015 to hit a record 1.18 billion despite concerns over extremist attacks, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said Monday.

France remained the world's most popular tourist destination, followed by the United States, Spain and China, according to the Madrid-based body which tracks the number of tourists who made an overnight stay at an international destination.

"2015 results were influenced by exchange rates, oil prices and natural and man-made crises in many parts of the world," the head of the UN body, Taleb Rifai, told a news conference.

Falling oil prices reduced transport costs but weakened demand for travel in oil-exporting nations while the weakness in the euro currency made travel to Europe for Americans more attractive, he said.

But the sector was marked mainly by the threat of extremism in 2015 with deadly attacks in Egypt, France, Lebanon, Tunisia, Mali and other nations.

"We are facing now, with regard to safety and security, a global threat," said Rifai, a former Jordanian tourism minister.

"We cannot anymore say this is the problem of Egypt or France or Tunisia or Turkey or Thailand or Indonesia," he added in reference to nations that suffered attacks last year claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

"We must continue to travel. We must never allow the pretext of safety and security to curb and reverse our attitude towards making this world more open."