With tourism accounting for 45 per cent of the foreign income of developing countries, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the industry to play its full role in facing the three interdependent challenges of promoting sustained economic growth, ensuring social development and safeguarding the global environment.

Thanks to rapid urbanization and rising disposable incomes in their country, Chinese tourists spent $102 billion during their travels in 2012, more than any other nationality, making the Asian nation the world’s number one tourism source market, the United Nations said today.