The Tourist Earth
Via The Cellar Image of the Day, I discovered this nifty map that displays countries based on their proportion of world international tourist trips (click for larger version):
From the WorldMapper page about the map:
In 2003 665 million international tourist trips were made. Dividing this by the world population would mean 10.7% holidayed abroad. However some people make multiple trips, so less than a tenth of the global population make tourist trips abroad. Western Europe is the most popular destination for international tourists, the region receives 46% of world tourist trips. At the other extreme 0.1% of world tourist trips are made to Central African territories.
Western Europe is naturally going to look large because the countries are small, the population is wealthy, and it’s easy to travel among them. For someone who likes to avoid the tourists, this map shows you where to go. I’m shocked to see how small South America and India appear.
What’s that big tumour on the north coast of South America? I don’t think it’s Brazil. Venezuala, maybe?
WorldMapper has 35 other cool maps, including a number of others concerning tourism. This map showing the estimated population in the year 1 A.D. is pretty fascinating too.
March 30th, 2006 at 10:58 am
It’s not Venezuela (I can’t imagine there’s a lot of tourism there; I have family there, and it’s not a pleasant place to be at this point in history.)
If the borders on the map are correct, by its location it must be French Guyana.
March 30th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
Really interesting - thanks for posting this.
March 30th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
I think that bubble must be Costa Rica. It gets huge numbers of American Tourists and its very small to start with.
March 30th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Trinidad? It’s just off the coast of Venezuela and might not show up accurately on this map. Big oil in T&T and lots of British (former) colonials. I have family there and some people are extremely wealthy and travel to Miami and S America a lot. Some people are also extremely poor.
March 30th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Those guesses sound a lot more plausible than French Guyana. I sit humbly corrected.
March 30th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
This stats site for the Caribbean and Central America might help. Looks like it isn’t just one country, but perhaps all those on the cruise ship / all-inclusive resort route. :)
March 31st, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Is there really a country between France and Spain, as shown on the map? And I guess Vatican City does not count as a country, since it must get almost as many tourists as all of Italy.
March 31st, 2006 at 2:12 pm
Neal: That country between France and Spain would be the sunny principality of Andorra.