The number of inbound tourist arrivals increased to 11.88 billion in 2017, compared with 11.12 billion in 2016, the 2018 Report on World Tourism Economy Trends says.

Last year's figure is equal to 1.6 times the global population.

The report was recently released by the World Tourism Cities Federation, which is headquartered in Beijing.

China was the biggest source of travelers last year, accounting for 4.53 billion visits, while the US raked in the most tourism income worldwide at over $1 trillion.

The number of trips around the world is expected to reach 12.67 billion this year, the report forecasts.

Global tourism's growth rate is also expected to surpass that of the global economy.

Tourism growth is expected to reach 6.7 percent, while global GDP is forecast to grow by 3.6 percent, the International Monetary Fund predicts.

The WTCF is a nonprofit international tourism organization formed by more than 160 cities and tourism-related institutions. It was established five years ago.

The organization aims to promote exchanges and cooperation among members and the tourism industry.