1.2 billion travelled out of their countries in 2015

A staggering 1.2 billion travelled out of their countries for at least one night in 2015.

This is according to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its latest World Tourism Barometer.

It is a rise of 4.4%, or 50 million over 2014 and the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth.

In a statement, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said "the robust performance of the sector is contributing to economic growth and job creation in many parts of the world."

He went on to point out how critical it is for countries to promote policies that foster the continued growth of tourism, including travel facilitation, human resources development and sustainability.

According to the report, Europe, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific all recorded around a 5% increase in international arrivals in 2015, while international tourist arrivals in the Americas grew 9 million to reach 191 million.

On the contrary, Africa experienced an estimated 3% decrease, "mostly due to weak results in North Africa, which accounts for over one third of arrivals in the region."

The body however pointed that data for the region was limited.

2016 is expected to follow the same range, as the UNWTO Confidence Index says though growth will be slightly lower than in the previous two years, international tourist arrivals are predicted to increase by 4% worldwide in 2016.