The One Happy Island of Aruba celebrated one huge milestone on Wednesday. For the first time in history, the destination welcomed its one-millionth stay-over visitor in a year – and JetBlue passengers traveling from New York to Aruba that morning were surprised to discover this lucky individual was on their flight.

The global tourism industry is on track to set a new record in 2014, in terms of international visitor numbers. The latest data from the UNWTO shows that approximately 1.1 billion international tourists are expected to travel this year, up from 1,087 billion in 2013. In the first 10 months of 2014, international arrivals reached 978 million.

“This decision is not only important for Cuba and the U.S., but also for the Caribbean region, because there is now a major player that, once fully open to the U.S., will have a significant impact on all trade and tourism,” David Bernier told Efe.

President and CEO of Cuba Cruise, Dugald Wells, told CTV News Channel that the arrival of American tourists on Cuban shores could lead to overcrowding and a spike in prices for the one million Canadians who travel to the country every year.

As interest in the people-to-people educational programs in Cuba continues to grow, so, too, does the field of tour operators that are licensed and authorized to offer these specialized programs.

Believe it or not, tourists are going to visit tropical destinations regardless of opinions branded about by alleged expert travelers. And although publicists tend to over-saturate the hype on individual island paradises, many are indisputably the most alluring to visit.