According to experts, during the first eight months of 2004, tourist arrivals increased 12 percent, to 526 million vacationers.

By geographic areas, the region that reported the fastest growth was Asia Pacific, where tourist arrivals rose 37 percent, to 99 million vacationers, from January to August 2004.

In Europe, the number of tourists increased 3 percent, to 296 million, and the fastest-growing European markets were Spain and Russia, which grew 10 percent each.

The Middle East grew 24 percent despite the region's security problems, while the American continent reported a 12-percent rise.

Regarding the Americas, the fastest-growing markets were the United States (15 percent) and Mexico (14 percent), while growth in the Caribbean, Central America and South America was similar to last year's.

By: Dtcuba