International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5 per cent during the first eight months of 2014 according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Despite geopolitical challenges and a lingering economic recovery, tourism demand was strong during the northern hemisphere high season of June to August.
International tourists (overnight visitors) travelling the world between January and August 2014 reached 781 million, 36 million more than in the same period of 2013. With a 5 per cent increase, international tourism continued to grow well above the long-term trend projected by UNWTO for the period 2010-2020 (+3.8 per cent). The peak months of June, July and August, which account for about one third of the total of the year, saw an increase of 4 per cent compared to the same months of 2013.
By region, the strongest growth was registered in the Americas (+8 per cent), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+5 per cent) and Europe (+4 per cent). By subregion, North America (+9 per cent) and South Asia (+8 per cent) were the star performers, as well as Southern and Mediterranean Europe, Northern Europe, North-East Asia and South America (all +7 per cent).
“International tourism continues to grow above expectations despite rising global challenges. Yet, increasing geopolitical uncertainties and the fact that the global economy shows signs of weaker and uneven growth require our attention,” said Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO.
Commenting on the possible impact of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa on tourism, Rifai said that, although it is too premature to assess the full impact of the outbreak on the tourism sector, at this point UNWTO does not expect a major effect on the sector globally.
