MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

World tourism remains strong with global growth above 4%

World tourism is expected to grow 4% in 2007 for the fourth year running, although slightly slower than in previous years according to the latest release from the United Nations World Tourism Organization in Madrid.

The short term outlook remains very positive especially against the background of a strong world economy and as favorable exchange rates continue to encourage European and Asian travelers says the WTO report adding that international tourism is likely to remain buoyant unless major incidents occur.

In the first eight months of 2006 international tourist arrivals totaled 578 million worldwide (+4.5%), up from 553 million in the same period of 2005, a year which saw an all-time record of 806 million people traveling internationally.

In the Americas Central America (+8.7%), South America (+8.1%) and the Caribbean (+5.1%) exceeded the global growth average, but North America fell well below 0.4%, pulled down by the results of Canada -4.1% and Mexico -3.8%, in spite of the 4.3% growth in the USA.

South and Central America benefited both from higher expenditures by US travelers and more arrivals from European tourists. At the same time intra-regional travel performed on a high level.

With an expected rate of +10.6% for 2006, Africa is this year again the world's regional leader in terms of growth. Between January and August international tourist arrivals increased by 9.8%.

Asia and the Pacific was the world's second fastest-growing region in the first eight months of 2006 (+8.3%). While South and South-Eastern destinations surpassed the average growth and the North East Asia was close to it, arrivals to Oceania were on the negative side.

The Middle East's positive results (+6%) have to be interpreted within the geopolitical context and its impact on tourism flows. Data available so far shows that the 34-day conflict between Israel and Lebanon had only very limited impact on the growth pace of the region as a whole.

Europe's growth (+3.1%) is not as modest as it might seem at first glance. If the current rate is maintained through the remainder of the year it would mean some 14 million additional arrivals. Northern Europe continues to be the clear winner in terms of arrivals growth (+6%), followed by the Southern/Mediterranean region (+4.6%), Western Europe (+2.1%) and Central and Eastern Europe (-0.1%).

There has been little evidence of travel plans being cancelled as a result of security threats, even to the UK. In spite of the terrorist plot rounded up by UK authorities in early August, arrivals increased 9.8% that month and 6% during the first eight months of 2006.