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UNWTO: International tourist arrivals grow to 1.4billion in 2018

By Daniel Anazia
26 January 2019   |   4:14 am
The number of international tourist arrivals rose by six percent last year to 1.4 billion, according to an estimate published by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary General

The number of international tourist arrivals rose by six percent last year to 1.4 billion, according to an estimate published by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

According to the Madrid-based UN body, the increase was driven by travel to southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, citing economic growth and technological advances as boosting factors.

It noted that arrivals to the Americas grew only by a modest three percent — four for North America — Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific performed strongly, with respective rises of six, seven and six percent.

WTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, welcomed the strong results as showing that tourism is one of the most powerful growth motors for international development.

While total arrivals to Europe were put at 713 million, the WTO also noted that arrivals in northern Europe were flat in 2018, citing uncertainty over Britain’s impending exit from the European Union.

Closer focus on data for Africa, which welcomed 67 million visitors in total, saw the north of the continent register 10 per cent growth in arrivals staying at least overnight. While Sub-Saharan arrivals were up six percent, Middle Eastern arrivals rose 10 percent to 64 million.

According to the body, overall solid economic growth, more broadly accessible air travel on lower fuel prices and more efficient processing of visas had all contributed to the rise.

The WTO notably cited better air connections in two substantial developing markets, India and Russia. It noted that some investors as well as travellers were adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude in considering geo-political uncertainty stemming from issues such as the US trade war with China as well as the fallout from Brexit.

The WTO predicts that there would be a global overall increase of between three and four percent for the current year, broadly in line with historical trends.

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