Medical tourism tends to increase as tourism numbers increase. Demand for international tourism remained strong in the first four months of 2014 according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5%, the same rate as during the full year 2013. Prospects for the current peak tourism season remain very positive with over 460 million tourists expected to travel abroad in the May-August 2014 period.
Destinations worldwide received 317 million international tourists (overnight visitors) between January and April 2014, 14 million more than in the same period of 2013. This 5% growth consolidates the already strong increase registered in 2013 (+5%) and is well above the long-term trend projected by UNWTO for the period 2010-2020 (+3.8%).
Growth has been widely spread with nearly all sub regions recording increases in international arrivals of 4% or higher. By region, the strongest growth was registered in Asia and the Pacific and the Americas (both +6%), followed closely by Europe and Africa (both at +5%). By sub region, Northern Europe, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and South Asia, (all +8%) were the star performers.
Most destinations share in growth.• Asia and the Pacific (+6%) consolidated its growth of recent years, with South Asia (+8%) and North-East Asia (+7%) in the lead.• Growth picked up in the Americas (+6%), with all four sub regions showing significant improvement compared to 2013.• Europe, the most visited region in the world, maintained the strength it showed in 2013 with international tourist arrivals growing by 5% through April. Northern Europe and Southern Mediterranean Europe (+8% each) led growth.• Africa’s international tourist numbers grew by 5% as the recovery was consolidated further in North Africa (+8%). 
International tourist arrivals in the Middle East are estimated down by 4%.
On source markets, international tourism expenditure data for the first part of 2014 indicates that the growth in demand continues to be strong out of China, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and India. Demand from advanced markets is strengthening with encouraging growth from Italy, Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.