According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals reached 1 billion 138 million in 2014, an increase of 4.7% over the previous year. For 2015, UNWTO forecasts growth of 3 to 4% of international tourism, a little further consolidating the global economic recovery.
The number of international tourists (visitors who spend the night) amounted to 1 billion 138 million in 2014, or 51 million more than in 2013. This 4.7% increase reflects the fifth consecutive year of growth above average since the 2009 economic crisis.
"In recent years, tourism has proven to be a surprisingly strong and resilient economy and a sector providing an essential contribution to economic recovery, generating billions of dollars in export revenue and creating millions of jobs. This was true for many destinations around the world, particularly in Europe, a region that is struggling to recover from one of the darkest periods in its economic history, "said Secretary General of UNWTO Taleb Rifai, at the opening of the Forum in Madrid Spain on World Tourism.
From the perspective of the regions, it is the Americas (+ 7%) and Asia Pacific (+ 5%), which posted the strongest growth, while Europe (+ 4%), the Middle East (+ 4%) and Africa (2%) experienced growth rates a little more moderate. At the subregional level, North America tops (8%), followed by the Northeast Asia, South Asia, Southern Europe and Mediterranean, Europe North and the Caribbean, which have increased by 7%.
As in recent years, growth in international tourism receipts for 2014 will probably be followed closely that of arrivals (The figures for international tourism receipts for 2014 will be published in April 2015). In 2013, international tourism receipts reached 1,197 billion dollars, 230 billion more than in 2008, which preceded the onset of the crisis.
Positive outlook for 2015
According to forecasts by the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals to grow by 3% to 4% in 2015. The regions where we expect the strongest growth are Asia Pacific (4 to 5% ) and the Americas (4 to 5%), followed by Europe (3 to 4%). Arrivals are expected to increase by 3 to 5% in Africa and 2 to 5% in the Middle East.
"For 2015, we expect continued demand as is improving the situation of the global economy, although many challenges still lie ahead. The positive aspect is that the price of oil fell to a level not seen since 2009. This will reduce transportation costs and boost economic growth by increasing purchasing power and consumer demand in the oil importers. However, this may also have a negative impact on some oil-exporting countries that have become major tourist source markets, "said Mr. Rifai.
Positive prospects for 2015 are confirmed by the UNWTO Confidence Index. 300 According to tourism experts consulted worldwide to establish this index, tourism numbers should be better in 2015, although the outlook is less optimistic than a year ago.
Europe consolidates its position as the most visited region in the world
Europe (+ 4%), the most visited region with over half of international tourists in the world, has received 22 million additional arrivals in 2014, for a total of 588 million. With results like these, tourism has made a major contribution to economic recovery in Europe. Northern Europe and Southern and Mediterranean Europe have driven growth (+ 7% in both cases), while the results were more modest in Western Europe (+ 2%). In Central and Eastern Europe (0%), arrivals stagnated after three years of strong growth.
