UNWTO reports 2010 was a strong year in travel
2011-01-19
A new report released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reveals that the international sector of the travel industry is finally rebounding after a harsh economic lapse.
The Advance Release of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer showed that 2010 was a strong year for global tourism, with a 7 percent increase to more than 930 million tourist arrivals. The new statistics have surprised some officials, as the improvement occurred much more quickly than they had projected
"The recovery in international tourism is good news, especially for those developing countries that rely on the sector for much-needed revenue and jobs," Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General, said in a press release. "The challenge will now be to consolidate this growth over the coming years amid a still uncertain global economic environment.
According to the Barometer, Asia had the strongest rebound with a 13 percent growth in tourists from other countries.
After suffering a gloomy year in travel due to the economic collapse and outbreak of the H1N1 virus, the Americas showed an 8 percent improvement to more than 151 million international arrivals.
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