Global tourism to reach 1 billion landmark

With a record 467 million tourists travelling in the first half of 2012, international tourism remains firmly on track to reach one billion tourists by the end of the year the first time the industry will have reached that level.
The trend, revealed by the United Nations' World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), suggests that despite concerns over the global economy, international tourism demand continues to show resilience. The number of international tourists worldwide grew by 5% between January and June 2012 compared to the same period of 2011 (22 million more). Although a slight slowdown in growth can be expected for the rest of the year, international arrivals are forecast to exceed one billion by the end of 2012.
Asia and the Pacific (up 8%) was the fastest growing region for the total number of trips made (combining in- and outbound travel) while the return of tourist flows to Tunisia and the rest of North Africa resulted in Africa seeing a 7% increase in traveller numbers.
However, the Middle East (0.7%) remained stagnant, casting further worries over the sustainability of some of the ambitious tourism infrastructure being built there.
UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai explained "amid the current economic uncertainty, tourism is one of the few economic sectors in the world growing strongly, driving economic progress in developing and developed countries alike and, most importantly, creating much needed jobs.
"As we lead up to the milestone of one billion, we need to ensure that the tourism sector is supported by adequate national policies and that we work to reduce existing barriers to the expansion of the sector, such as complicated visa procedures, increased direct taxation or limited connectivity."
In 2011, international tourist arrivals reached 990 million. With an expected growth of 3% to 4% in 2012, this figure is forecast to reach one billion for the first time by December 2012. In 2011, receipts from international tourism, including international passenger transport, (exports from tourism) totalled US$ 1.2 trillion or close to 6% of the world's exports of goods and services.
The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is a regular publication of UNWTO aimed at monitoring the short-term evolution of tourism and providing the sector with relevant and timely information.