Global tourism maintains growth despite obstacles

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released statistics demonstrating global tourism's resilience throughout challenging times. Global international tourist arrivals are indicated to have grown by 4.5% in the first quarter of 2011. UNWTO noted positive growth in all major regions worldwide with the sole exception of the Middle East. South America saw well pronounced double-digit growth of 17% with South Asia and South East Asia following closely behind with +14% and +10% growth respectively.

UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, identified continued political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa as well as the events at Fukushima, Japan as posing the sternest challenges to global tourism with numerous travel flows being disrupted.

Growth has been strong in spite of these issues and UNWTO foresees that even destinations currently experiencing a tail-off in tourism should notice a tangible revival toward the end of 2011. Europe deceived forecasts by recording the highest growth of 6% in the first quarter of 2011 with April proving particularly successful especially when seen in the context of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud of April 2010.

The UNWTO Confidence Index, a short term forecast based on the consultations of more than 350 global tourism experts, gives an optimistic outlook on tourism for the period between March and August 2011; a prediction fuelled in part by the arrival of the peak tourism season in the northern hemisphere.

Source = holidaylettings.co.uk