From strength to strength
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has found that tourist arrivals around the world continue to increase, with the forecast for the rest of the year looking positive
Demand for international tourism remained strong in the first four months of 2014, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by five per cent, the same rate as during the full year 2013. Prospects for the current peak tourism season remain very positive with over 460 million tourists expected to travel abroad in the May-August 2014 period.
Global growth
Destinations worldwide received some 317 million international tourists (overnight visitors) between January and April 2014, 14 million more than in the same period of 2013. This five-per-cent growth consolidates the already strong increase registered in 2013, notes the report, and is well above the long-term trend projected growth by UNWTO for the period 2010-2020 of 3.8 per cent.
Growth has been widely spread with nearly all subregions recording increases in international arrivals of four per cent or higher. By region, the strongest growth was registered in Asia and the Pacific and the Americas (both seeing a six-per-cent increase), followed closely by Europe and Africa (both at five-per-cent increases). By subregion, Northern Europe, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and South Asia, all of which grew by eight per cent, were the star performers.
“The encouraging start to 2014 and the overall positive sentiment in the sector raise high expectations for the current peak tourism season, benefiting destinations from both advanced and emerging economies,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “The five-per-cent growth in the number of international tourists crossing borders in the first months of 2014 further reflects the impact of the increase in public support to the sector as well as the immense capacity of tourism companies to adapt to changing markets."
Most destinations share in growth
According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, Asia and the Pacific consolidated its growth of recent years, with eight-per-cent growth in South Asia, and seven-per-cent growth in North-East Asia. Growth picked up in the Americas, with an increase in tourism of around six per cent, with all four subregions showing significant improvement compared to 2013. Europe, the most visited region in the world, maintained the strength it showed in 2013 with international tourist arrivals growing by five per cent through to April 2014 compared to April 2013. Northern Europe and Southern Mediterranean Europe, with eight per cent each, led growth. Africa’s international tourist numbers, meanwhile, grew by five per cent as the recovery was consolidated further in North Africa. International tourist arrivals in the Middle East are estimated to be down by four per cent, though UNWTO warned that this figure should be taken with caution as it is based on limited data available for the region. With regard to source markets, international tourism expenditure data for the first part of 2014 indicates that the growth in demand continues to be strong out of emerging markets, in particular from China, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and India. Moreover, demand from advanced markets is strengthening as the economic situation improves gradually, with encouraging growth registered in expenditure from Italy, Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Looking ahead
Various indicators point to a strong summer peak season for the Northern Hemisphere, with over 460 million tourists expected to travel abroad during the four months from May to August, which account on average for 41 per cent of all international tourist arrivals registered in one year. According to the UNWTO Confidence Index, prospects remain very positive for the period May-August 2014. Confidence has picked up, particularly among the private sector, and improved further in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East. For the full year 2014, international tourist arrivals are expected to increase by four per cent to 4.5 per cent, slightly above UNWTO’s long-term forecast of 3.8 per cent per year for the period 2010 to 2020.