Global tourism still robust, says UN body

MANILA, Philippines–Despite geopolitical tensions and conflicts, international tourism remained robust in the first six months of the year, with arrivals growing by 4.6 percent to 517 million, according to the latest World Tourism Barometer of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

This growth was in line with the organization’s expectations that international tourist arrivals will increase by 4 percent to 4.5 percent in 2014, and well above the long-term forecast of a 3.8-percent growth in arrivals between 2010 and 2020.

“These results show that tourism is consolidating the positive performance of recent years, providing development and economic opportunities worldwide,” said UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai in the report.

“Indeed, despite geopolitical and economic challenges, the number of international tourist arrivals has grown by 5 percent a year on average since 2010, a trend that has translated into more economic growth, more exports and more jobs,” Rifai added.

According to the UNWTO, the growth was strongest in the Americas, which posted a 6-percent hike in international tourist arrivals, followed by Asia and the Pacific and Europe (which both registered a 5 percent increase).

By subregion, South Asia and Northern Europe were the best performers, having posted an 8 percent growth in arrivals, followed by North-East Asia and Southern Mediterranean Europe (7 percent).

“Growth picked up significantly in the Americas. In South America, the hosting of the Football World Cup in Brazil contributed to the positive results in the subregion, as receipts from international tourism in Brazil grew by 10 percent in the first seven months of the year,” UNWTO said.

“Asia and the Pacific consolidated the trend of recent years. The region has been benefiting from ongoing economic growth, continuous investment in infrastructure and visa facilitation measures. Europe continued the strong pace of growth of 2013. These results reflect improved consumer confidence in Europe and the rebound of important traditional European source markets,” the organization added.