Despite concerns over the global economy, international tourism demand continues to show resilience, according to a new report by the World Tourism Organization.
With a record 467 million tourists travelling during the first half of 2012, international tourism remains firmly on track to reach one billion tourists by the end of the year.
The number of international tourists worldwide grew by 5 per cent between January and June 2012 compared with the same period of 2011 (22 million more). Although a slight slowdown in growth can be expected for the rest of the year, international arrivals are forecast to exceed one billion by the end of 2012.
“Amid the current economic uncertainty, tourism is one of the few economic sectors in the world growing strongly, driving economic progress in developing and developed countries alike and, most importantly, creating much needed jobs,” UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said while opening the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao.
“As we lead up to the milestone of one billion, we need to ensure that the tourism sector is supported by adequate national policies and that we work to reduce existing barriers to the expansion of the sector, such as complicated visa procedures, increased direct taxation or limited connectivity,” he added.
Asia and the Pacific was up by 8 per cent between January and June 2012 compared with the same period in 2011. Africa was up by 7 per cent, the same as Central America. South American visitation grew by 6 per cent.
The Caribbean grew by 5 per cent, said the report.
Significant growth
In terms of outbound markets, and among the top 10 countries by expenditure on travel abroad, growth was significant in China (30 per cent), the Russian Federation (15 per cent), United States (9 per cent), Germany (6 per cent) and Canada (6 per cent). In Japan, an 8 per cent increase in spending on overseas tourism confirmed the recovery of this important market, the United Nations reported. On the other hand, growth was comparatively slow or negative in the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and France.
International tourism arrivals during 2011 reached 990 billion. With the expected growth of three to four per cent on course for 2012, the figure of a billion is expected for the first time. In 2011, receipts from international tourism, including international passenger transport, (exports from tourism) totalled US$1.2 trillion or close to 6 per cent of the world’s exports of goods and services.
These results were highlighted in the United Nations World Tourism Organization World Tourism Barometerk, which is a regular state-of-the-industry update released to the media and the industry.
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