The UNWTO has said that international tourist numbers went up by 6.0 percent in the first half of this year, with southern Europe and Southeast Asia registering the biggest growth, due to an upturn in the global economy.Published on : Saturday, October 13, 2018
The UNWTO has said that international tourist numbers went up by 6.0 percent in the first half of this year, with southern Europe and Southeast Asia registering the biggest growth, due to an upturn in the global economy.
The tourist numbers surged to around 641 million in the period from January to June, which is around 37 million more compared to the same period last year.
“Today’s release of international tourism data for the first half of 2018 serves as further proof of the sector’s resilience and relentless growth trajectory,” said the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
All world regions “enjoyed robust growth in tourist arrivals” during the first half, with the increase “fueled by strong demand from major source markets, supported by an upswing in the global economy”.
Britain, France and Russia all exhibited double-digit increases in outbound spending in Europe, while India and South Korea boosted growth in Asia.
Southern and Mediterranean Europe saw an 8.7 percent rise in international visitors while Southeast Asia witnessed a 9.4-percent increase.
Tourist arrivals overall in Europe, the world’s most-visited region, grew 6.8 percent. China, the world’s top tourism source market, reported similar spending like last year.
In the entire period of 2017, the number of international tourist arrivals grew by 7.0 percent from the previous year to 1.33 billion, and the UNWTO expects the figure to grow by four to five percent this year.
Tags: UNWTO