Commissioner Marlin agrees overall international tourism growth to be positive
The Commissioner of Tourism Affairs Roy Marlin says that the United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organzation (UNWTO) expects international tourism growth to be overall positive despite the global challenges of high oil and commodity prices.
In its June edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the first results for 2008 suggest the relative stability of international tourism.
In spite of uncertainties posed by the global economy, international tourist arrivals grew at around five per cent between January and April 2008, compared to the same period of 2007.
"I am very pleased with the global trend as it is in line with the number of travelers who have visited the island. For example, during the first half of 2008, the number of stay-over visitors increased by 5.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2007.
"Although the overall economic climate has deteriorated since the last quarter of 2007, reducing consumer confidence and putting pressure on household spending and travel budgets, prospects for international tourism remain positive according to the UNWTO. The latter expects tourism demand to grow, but at a slower pace over the remainder of the year," Commissioner of Tourism Affairs Roy Marlin told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Tuesday.
The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer says that all sub-regions posted positive results in the first months of the year. Growth was fastest in the Middle East, North-East and South Asia, and Central and South America. North-America is on track for a clearly positive year thanks to the strong inbound travel to the USA, while arrivals to the Caribbean started to rebound well on last yearâ??s stagnant results. Growth was more modest in Europe, with best performances coming from Southern and Mediterranean destinations.