Tuesday, January 21, 2014

World tourist numbers surge to nearly 1.1 billion in 2013...

International tourist numbers surged to nearly 1.1 billion in 2013 in defiance of global economic troubles, with Asia-Pacific destinations enjoying the fastest growth, a United Nations body said on Monday.

The rise in tourism coincided with sluggish economic growth worldwide and unrest in top destinations such as Egypt, shunned by visitors fearful of the turmoil unleashed by the army's ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July.

Despite those troubles, the number of international tourist arrivals beat expectations by soaring five percent to 1.09 billion in 2013, the UN World Tourism Organisation said in a report, tipping further growth in 2014.

"The tourism sector has shown a remarkable capacity to adjust to the changing market conditions, fuelling growth and job creation around the world, despite the lingering economic and geopolitical challenges," said the UN body's secretary general, Taleb Rifai.

 "Indeed, tourism has been among the few sectors generating positive news for many economies," he said, hailing 2013 as an "excellent year". Full story...

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