Travel outside local areas was generally a rich person’s privilege, though soldiers would travel for war or duty. Tourism in some form can be traced back to ancient Egypt.

Ancient Romans would tour all around the Roman Empire.

Modern tourism can be traced to the Grand Tour of the 17th century, when the upper class made a famous journey around Europe.

The Eiffel Tower is a major source of income for France’s tourism industry, but it was originally meant to be temporary. France is the most visited country in the world.

Tourism makes up about 10 percent of the world’s GDP.

Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other city on Earth.

A commercial airliner can be cleaned in about 7 to 10 minutes between flights.

The Maldives may disappear with rising sea levels, meaning your great-grandchildren may never get to visit.

The Vatican receives about 5 million tourists per year.

Orlando, Florida, because of Universal, Disney, SeaWorld, and other attractions, has more tourism than some independent countries.

Iceland’s population can sometimes double depending on its tourism levels.

Machu Picchu has tourist limits in place to protect it.

Tourists typically outnumber residents in Venice, Italy.

Around 70,000 tourists arrive in Antarctica by boat each year.

New Zealand attracts many visitors to Hobbiton, the movie set from The Lord of the Rings films.

Disney World is about the same size as San Francisco.

Tourism is allowed in North Korea, but visitors are highly monitored, and any rule-breaking can lead to torture or even the death penalty under the authoritarian regime.

The oldest hotel in the world is Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Japan, founded in 705 AD.

Switzerland has a cliffside hotel that can be reached by hiking or cable car.

Chipping off a piece of the Great Pyramid or any pyramid in Egypt will result in a heavy fine.

There is a hotel in Costa Rica made from a refurbished Boeing 727 airplane.