By Abdi Ali
Published January 22, 2020
The world registered 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019.
United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says this was a 4% increase on 2018.
Though the UNWTO barometer shows that all regions of the world registered growth in international tourist arrivals in the year under review, ‘uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the collapse of Thomas Cook, geopolitical and social tensions and the global economic slowdown all contributed to a slower growth in 2019, when compared to the exceptional rates of 2017 and 2018. This slowdown affected mainly advanced economies and particularly Europe and Asia and the Pacific’.
“In these times of uncertainty and volatility, tourism remains a reliable economic sector, ” Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO, says. “Our sector keeps outpacing the world economy and calling upon us to not only grow but to grow better.”
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The Middle East has emerged as the fastest-growing region for international tourism arrivals in 2019, growing at almost double the global average (+8%). Growth in Asia and the Pacific slowed down but still showed above-average growth, with international arrivals up 5%.
Europe, where growth was also slower than in previous years (+4%), continues to lead in terms of international arrivals numbers, welcoming 743 million international tourists in 2019 (51% of the global market).
The Americas (+2%) showed a mixed picture as many island destinations in the Caribbean consolidated their recovery after the 2017 hurricanes while arrivals fell in South America due partly to ongoing social and political turmoil.
Limited data available for Africa (+4%) points to continued strong results in North Africa (+9%) while arrivals in sub-Saharan Africa grew slower in 2019 (+1.5%).
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Tourism spending continued to grow, most notably among the world’s top ten spenders. France reported the strongest increase in international tourism expenditure among the world’s top ten international tourism expenditure (+11%), while the United States (+6%) led growth in absolute terms, aided by a strong dollar.
However, some large emerging markets such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia reported declines in tourism spending.
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China, the world’s top source market, saw outbound trips increase by 14% in the first half of 2019, though expenditure fell 4%.
“The number of destinations earning US$1 billion or more from international tourism has almost doubled since 1998,” Pololikashvili says. “The challenge we face is to make sure the benefits are shared as widely as possible and that nobody is left behind. In 2020, UNWTO celebrates the Year of Tourism and Rural Development, and we hope to see our sector lead positive change in rural communities, creating jobs and opportunities, driving economic growth and preserving culture.”
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