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A record of 1.2 billion International tourists in 2015, says UNWTO

Posted Date:  March 16, 2016

As per the new record-breaking stats released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its latest World Tourism Barometer, tourists have travelled outside their countries' borders for at least one night in 2015.

According to the report it's a rise of 4.4% -- or 50 million -- over 2014 and the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth, said the report.

Why the continued demand?

The report stated that region wise, Europe, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific all charted around a 5% increase in international arrivals in 2015.

Europe led the way, supported by a weaker euro against the U.S. dollar and other main currencies, with arrivals reaching 609 million -- 29 million more than in 2014.

Asia and the Pacific, also at 5%, recorded 13 million more international tourist arrivals last year to reach 277 million, with uneven results across destinations.

International tourist arrivals in the Americas grew 9 million to reach 191 million.

There was a 3% increase in the arrivals to the Middle East while Africa (though limited data was available) experienced an estimated 3% decrease -- "mostly due to weak results in North Africa, which accounts for over one third of arrivals in the region."

All the usual factors came into play for this mixed bag of results.

Exchange rate fluctuations and drops in oil and other commodities' prices increased disposable income in importing countries but weakened demand in exporting nations, said the World Tourism Barometer.

Another factor was the increased safety and security alarms.

So who's traveling?

In 2015, China continued to lead global outbound travel, pouring cash into Asian destinations such as Japan and Thailand, as well as the United States and various European destinations, said the report.

More of the same in 2016

The UNWTO Confidence Index says that while growth will be slightly lower than in the previous two years, international tourist arrivals are predicted to increase by 4% worldwide in 2016.

By region, growth is expected to be strongest in Asia and the Pacific (4%-5%) and the Americas (4%-5%), followed by Europe (3.5%-4.5%).

"The projections for Africa (2%-5%) and the Middle East (2%-5%) are positive, though with a larger degree of uncertainty and volatility," said the Index.

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Author: Manoj .S

Manoj works as Team Lead in Teknokraaft and looks into the Flights vertical primarily.

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