In a recent report by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), the year 2007 has started on a higher than expected note for global tourism. From January through April, international tourist arrivals worldwide rose by over 6% to 252 million, representing an additional 15 million arrivals as against the same period in 2006, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
The WTO reports:
- Asia and the Pacific (+9%) achieved the strongest growth, followed by Africa (+8%), the Middle East (+8%) and Europe (+6%). Although arrivals to the Americas (+4%), showed the slowest growth rate among the world regions during the first four months of 2007, this performance is nevertheless very positive as the region doubled the 2007 forecast growth (+2%).Several positive factors contributed to the growth registered in the first four months of this year, and are likely to help sustain it through the coming months.
- Continuing world prosperity has clearly been a main driver. Emerging markets and developing economies in general, and especially those of Asia, maintained their extraordinary strength. Meanwhile, in continental Europe, and in Germany in particular, economic growth has picked up encouragingly. With increasing disposable income and factors such as the continued development of low cost airlines making travel available for larger shares of population, international tourism seems on track for another year of above average growth.
- Although Europe (+6%) is the world’s most visited and most mature destination region, its arrivals growth rates in 2005 and 2006 were not far short of the worldwide average. And growth continued even more strongly through the first four months of 2007 supported by the sustained boom in the world economy – a boom in which Europe is now sharing more emphatically, with notably higher rates of GDP growth in the eurozone.
- The Americas (+4%) started 2007 by doubling last year’s overall results. The region benefited from star performers Central America (+7%) and South America (+9%), and particularly of those of North America (+4%), already far ahead of last year’s 1% growth. This trend was not, however, widespread. The Caribbean (-2%) has been the only sub-region in the world to record a decline over the first four months of 2007, reflecting the impact of decreased arrivals from the USA in many of its destinations.
Outlook
Confidence in tourism’s prospects as measured through the survey among UNWTO’s Panel of Tourism Experts is higher than it has been since September 2004 – a year of peak growth. With economic growth expected at almost 5% for 2007 and again for 2008, which would be the fifth consecutive year of growth above the long-term average, increased economic prosperity is certainly one of the main reasons behind such high level of confidence.
To read the full report please click here: Strong World Tourism Growth in 2007
