But tourists also go just to have fun. In summer, people go to the Cote d'Azur (pronounced COAT dah-zoo-r) for its glamorous beach resorts and casinos. In winter, skiers and snowboarders head for the French Alps and the Pyrenees.

And if you like fun parks, there's always EuroDisney in Paris.

China

Between 1949 and 1974, China didn't allow outside visitors. Today, about 46.8 million people arrive there every year. Numbers are expected to boom next year thanks to the Being Olympics.

The number one attraction is the Great Wall. Other favourites are the Forbidden City in Beijing, where China's emperors lived, and the Terracotta Army. These clay soldiers in the Qin Dynasty Emperor's mausoleum in Xian were discovered in 1974 - the same year China started building their tourism industry.

Interestingly, it isn't just foreigners who rush to see these sights: more than 1.2 billion locals are taking holiday trips as well.

Italy

Italy is home to so many famous icons, it's hard to say which is best known: the Colosseum in Rome, the Ferrari, cappuccino or the volcano Mount Vesuvius?

Italy attracts 36.5 million visitors a year. Sports enthusiasts go to the Italian Alps to climb mountains in the summer and to ski in the winter.

Art and culture fans head for Rome's Colosseum, Forum and Capitoline Museum, or to Florence to see paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Venice lures visitors with its beautiful canals and palaces, while Naples is close to Pompeii and Herculaneum, towns buried in 79AD when Vesuvius erupted.

But no matter where they go, visitors enjoy what are perhaps the best known of all things Italian: pasta and pizza!

United States

The US attracts 49.4 million visitors a year. Because the country is so big and has so many different attractions, some tourists take themed holidays.

Among the most popular themes is hiking the Appalachian Trail. Hikers travel on foot along the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia in the south to Maine in the north. This scenic trail runs 3,500km through 14 states so you've got to be super-fit!

The Grand Canyon is also on the top of the list of natural attractions. About 1,610m deep, this 2-billion-year-old canyon in Arizona is a monument to geological history.

Orlando in Florida is another top spot because of its many theme parks. Among the best known are SeaWorld Orlando with its killer whale shows, Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort with its movie-themed rollercoaster rides, and Gatorland, nicknamed 'Alligator Capital of the World'.

Spain

Most people associate Spain with the July festival in Pamplona where young men run through the streets with wild bulls, or with flamenco dancers and their colourful skirts and castanets.

Spain attracts 55.6 million visitors annually. Every summer, Europeans from the north go to enjoy sun, sea, sand and excellent local wine in Malaga, Alicante and other coastal towns.

City slickers travel to Madrid, the capital, and Barcelona on the east coast to see the art works of El Greco, Velazquez, Picasso, Gaudi, Goya and others, and for the nightlife.

fab fact!

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, international tourism was worth US$733 billion (HK$5.7 billion), or US$2 billion a day, in 2006. Tourism now makes up about 35 per cent of the world's exports of services, and more than 70 per cent in the least developed countries.

compare!

Europe's tourist industry is worth more than US$348 billion (HK$2.7 billion) and takes up 52 per cent of the world total market. The Americas market takes up 21 per cent and is worth US$145 billion. The Asia and the Pacific market takes 20 per cent and is valued at US$139 billion. The African industry is valued at US$28 billion and takes up 3 per cent, while the Middle East is valued at the same and represents 4 per cent of the world total.

Build Your Vocab

When you're reading you don't always need to know every word to understand a passage. But do you remember new vocab when you come across it?

Build your word power by finding appropriate synonyms for the following words and phrases in the text. Want an extra challenge? Try completing this exercise from memory first!

1. Nickname

2. Person who loves cities

3. Subject, topic

4. Grow quickly

5. Attract, pull in

Answers:

1. dub; 2. city slicker; 3. theme; 4. boom; 5. lure