UNWTO released World Tourism Barometer

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on 18 January 2016 released the World Tourism Barometer, which reviewed trends in tourism at the regional and global level for 2015 and enumerated prospects for 2016.

As per the publication, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4 percent in 2015 to reach a total of 1184 million in 2015. In numbers, around 50 million more travelers were recorded in 2015 compared to that 2014.

Highlights of World Tourism Barometer

• 2015 marks the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth, with international arrivals increasing by 4 percent or more every year since the post-crisis year of 2010.
• The tourist arrivals, in 2015, were largely influenced by exchange rates, oil prices and natural and manmade crises in many parts of the world.
• Growth in advanced economy destinations (5 percent growth) exceeded that of emerging economies (4 percent), boosted by the solid results of Europe (5 percent).
• By region, Europe, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific all recorded around 5 percent growth in 2015.
• Arrivals to the Middle East increased by 3 percent, while in Africa points to an estimated 3 percent decrease mostly due to weak results in North Africa, which accounts for over one third of arrivals in the region.

• Results from the UNWTO Confidence Index remain largely positive for 2016, though at a slightly lower level as compared to the previous two years.
• Based on the current trend and this outlook, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals to grow by 4 percent worldwide in 2016.
• Among the world’s top source markets, China, with double-digit growth in expenditure every year since 2004, continues to lead global outbound travel.
• Expenditure from the United States , the world’s second largest source market, and the United Kingdom, the third largest, was boosted by a strong currency and rebounding economy.

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