S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 The Middle East\u2019s share of global tourist flow should rise from the current 6% to 8% by 2030, according to a report issued this Wednesday (12) by the United Nations\u2019 World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) during the 19th session of its General Assembly in Gyeongju, South Korea.<\/p>\n
This means the number of people visiting the region each year will increase from 61 million in 2010 to 149 million in 2030, a 145% increase. \u201cIt’s investment and it’s also that the appetite for travel of the Middle East people themselves has grown more,\u201d said the manager of the UNWTO\u2019s tourism trends and marketing strategies program, John Kester, according to newspaper The National<\/i>, based in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n
For the sake of illustration, the region\u2019s share of world tourism doubled since 1980. In Kester\u2019s assessment, Middle Eastern citizens are \u201cmore connected to the rest of the world,\u201d and the region has strong links to Asia and Africa. \u201cYou also see it reflected in the fast growth of the region\u2019s airlines,\u201d he said, according to the newspaper.<\/p>\n
In total, the UNWTO expects the international tourist flow to reach 1.8 billion people per year by 2030, as against 940 million last year. This translates into an average annual increase of 3.3%, i.e. 43 million more travellers each year. Within two decades, the organization forecasts that 5 million people will cross international borders each days seeking leisure, business, family visits, among others.<\/p>\n
Even though the estimated annual growth is lower than in the last decades, according to a statement issued by the UNWTO, its secretary general, Taleb Rifai, has said that the industry\u2019s expansion \u201coffers huge possibilities.\u201d \u201cBecause these may also be years of leadership, with tourism driving economic growth, social development, and environmental sustainability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The UNWTO believes tourism will grow at a higher rate in developing countries (4.4% per year) than in developed ones (2.2% per year), and that from 2015 onward, the former will receive more visitors than the latter. By 2030, the piece of emerging countries in the global tourism pie should be 58%.<\/p>\n
According to the survey, emerging economies in Asia, Latin America, Central, Eastern and West Mediterranean Europe, the Middle East and Africa should receive an average of 30 million more tourists per year, whereas destinations regarded as more traditional, such as North America, Western Europe, and some areas of the Asia-Pacific region should receive 14 million visitors.<\/p>\n
Africa\u2019s share in global tourism, for instance, may increase from 5% to 7&. The Americas\u2019 share should go from 14% to 16%; the Asia-Pacific region\u2019s share should climb from 22% to 30%; and Europe\u2019s should drop from 51% to 41%.<\/p>\n
The survey also states by 2030 that a significant share of tourists will be Asian. The number of travellers from the region is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5%, which means 17 million more people each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cParallel to these opportunities [created through the growth of tourism], challenges will arise with regard to maximizing the social and economic benefits of the industry, while minimizing negative effects. To that end, it is more important than ever that the whole progress of tourism is founded on the principles of sustainable development,\u201d said Rifai.<\/p>\n
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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