According to the UNWTO 2016 Tourism highlights, the top ten tourist destinations of 2015 were France, the USA, Spain, China, Italy, Turkey, Germany, United Kingdom, Mexico, and Russian Federation. The leading tourist generators, on the other hand, were the USA, China, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong (China), and Macao (China). Except for China, the leading tourist generators tend to be developed Western or European countries. This is due to three reasons. First, the economic situation in these regions is relatively stable, which means that people have higher incomes, allowing them to spend money on international travel. Another reason is the presence of leading international corporations in these countries. A large share of European and American businesses trade and deal with partners all over the world, which creates many opportunities for business travel. Finally, developed countries tend to have a larger share of older adults comparing to younger populations. There is also an established culture of travel among older adults: people spend their younger years building career and family, whereas, after retirement, their pensions and abundance of free time allow them to travel and see the world.
Some minor changes in the patterns of global travel are also evident: countries such as Mexico, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, and Germany experience considerable growth in tourism, whereas the number of arrivals to conventionally popular countries, such as France, Turkey, and China, grows at a slower rate. This can be explained by the market life cycle theory. The countries that are considered conventionally popular destinations have a well-developed tourism industry, and the tourism market of these countries has already moved into maturity. There are fewer opportunities for growth, which slows down the market growth. Emerging destinations, on the other hand, have more room for the development of tourism, which is why the growth in these regions is faster. Another reason for the change in destination patterns is the overall shift of tourists’ attention from museums and classical attractions to street art, festivals, and other events. These are more appealing to the younger visitors, as well as experienced travelers, which makes these categories of customers seek new places and offers to entertain themselves.