enti eth ▁century , ▁long - ha ul ▁jour ne ys ▁between ▁large ▁American ▁cities ▁were ▁accomplished ▁using ▁trains . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁air ▁travel ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁every day ▁life ▁for ▁many ▁Americans . ▁This ▁was ▁also ▁helped ▁by ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Highway ▁System ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁reli ance ▁of ▁autom ob iles ▁of ▁which ▁Americans ▁saw ▁cars ▁as ▁their ▁new ▁personal ▁found ▁freedom ▁and ▁enjoy ment . ▁The ▁tour ism ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁experienced ▁exponential ▁growth ▁as ▁tour ists ▁could ▁travel ▁almost ▁anywhere ▁with ▁a ▁fast , ▁reliable ▁and ▁routine ▁system . ▁For ▁some , ▁a ▁vac ation ▁in ▁Hawai i ▁was ▁now ▁a ▁more ▁frequent ▁pleasure . ▁Air ▁travel ▁changed ▁everything ▁from ▁family ▁vac ations ▁to ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball , ▁as ▁had ▁steam - power ed ▁trains ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁and ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁centuries . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁tour ism ▁had ▁significantly ▁grown ▁throughout ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁World ▁Tour ism ▁Organisation ▁( W TO , ▁ 1 9 9 8 ) ▁recorded ▁that , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁arrival s ▁of ▁tour ists ▁from ▁abroad , ▁ex cluding ▁same - day ▁vis its , ▁number ed ▁about ▁ 2 5 . 2   mill ion . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁figure ▁was ▁ 6 1 2 . 8   mill ion . ▁In ▁ 1 9