INTERNATIONAL tourism hit a new record end-2014 with over 1.1 billion international tourists in a single year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
From January to October 2014, the number of overnight international tourists grew about five per cent, reaching 978 million – 45 million more than in the same period of 2013 – and well above the long-term trend projected by UNWTO for the period 2010-2020 (3.8 per cent).
As such, 2014 is set to post a record number of over 1.1 million international tourists.
By region, the strongest growth was registered in the Americas (eight per cent), followed by Asia-Pacific (five per cent) and Europe (four per cent).
By subregion, North America (nine per cent) and South Asia (eight per cent, led by India at seven per cent) were the star performers, as well as Southern and Mediterranean Europe, North-East Asia and Northern Europe (all seven per cent).
Said UNWTO secretary-general, Taleb Rifai: “These are remarkable results considering that different parts of the world continue to face significant geopolitical and health challenges, while the global economic recovery remains rather fragile and uneven.
“More importantly, we see a growing political commitment to the tourism sector in many countries. This is encouraging, not in the least because tourism is one of the sectors that is best able to deliver on employment at a moment when job creation needs to be a priority to all.”
UNWTO will release the preliminary 2014 full-year results by January 27.
