Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or about to stamp a brand-new passport, international travel is full of fun surprises. Behind every trip are record-breaking airports, (hopefully) incredibly punctual trains, and thousands of languages, from often spoken to rarely heard. Before you start packing for your next adventure, here are seven fun facts about traveling the world.
7 Traveling Abroad Facts
1. You’re one of more than 1.5 billion travelers. (Source)
International tourism reached an all-time high in 2025. UN Tourism counted 1.52 billion international tourists that year, which was a 4% rise since 2024. Europe is still the crowd favorite choice, welcoming 793 million international tourists in 2025, 6% more than pandemic levels.
2. France is the world’s most-visited country, but Spain earns more tourism revenue. (Source)
France held onto its title as the world’s top destination by welcoming 102 million international visitors in 2205, beating its 2024 total of 100 million. Its neighbors, though, present serious competition. Spain drew fewer visitors at 96.8 million, but it generated about 105 billion euros in tourism revenue, more than France’s 77.5 billion euros.
3. A passport from Singapore offers access to the most travel destinations. (Source)
Singapore tops the Henley Passport Index for the second year running. Holders can enter 192 of the tracked 227 destinations without a visa arranged in advance. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates posted the biggest 20-year improvement in the index’s history, jumping 57 places since 2006.
4. Atlanta is the busiest airport on Earth. (Source)
If you’ve ever had a connection in Atlanta (which is pretty likely), then you’ve passed through the world’s busiest airport. Hartsfield-Jackson handled 106.3 million passengers in 2025, ahead of Dubai at 05.2 million and Tokyo Haneda at 91.7 million.
5. Japan’s bullet train has a stellar safety record. (Source)
Taking a trip to Japan? Why not travel on the world’s safest train? 7 billion people have ridden the Tokaido Shinkansen since it launched in 1964, and in that time, the line has not had a single accident that caused injury or death to passengers. It’s also incredibly punctual, with an average delay of only 1.6 minutes per train, even accounting for natural disasters.
6. There are more than 7,000 languages to discover throughout the world. (Source)
According to Ethnologue, 7,164 languages are spoken today, though just 23 of them account for more than half the world’s population. Many languages are fragile, with about 40% considered to be endangered.
7. Translation apps can’t replace a few local phrases. (Source)
Translation apps are handy, but not every traveler appreciates them. In a Preply survey of more than 1,200 Americans who used translation tools abroad, 57% said the apps felt robotic and unnatural. Among travelers who took a language class before their trip, 73% said they did it to be respectful and polite and are more likely to find translation apps robotic and lacking in that vital human connection we need when communicating.
Featured image photo credit: ClickerHappy
