According to figures published by the UNWTO, strong growth in the EMEA region has led to a 5% increase in international tourism over the first eight months of 2013. The total number of international travelers is at 747 million, 38 million more than over the same period in 2012. These figures were led by large improvements in Europe, with an increase of 20 million arrivals over the same period last year, which translates to +5%, broken down into +7% in Central and Eastern Europe, and +6% in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. In raw numbers, Asia Pacific lagged behind with a 10 million arrival increase; however, this translates to 6% growth, led by a 12% progression in the Southeast. Africa and the Middle East both posted 5% increases, while American arrivals only progressed 3%."While global economic growth slows, international tourism continues to show above-average results, providing vital opportunities for employment and local economies. This is particularly important for Europe where unemployment is a major concern in many destinations where tourism has boosted employment in the last decade", said Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO.The good results of international arrivals had a positive impact on world tourism receipts, with few exceptions. Several of the 25 destinations that drew the most revenue experienced double-digit growth over the period, Thailand (27%), Hong Kong (25%), Turkey (+22%), Japan (19 %), the UK (18%), Greece (15%), India (14%), Malaysia (12%) and the United States (11%). However, emerging economies remain the main drivers of tourism revenues.These positive results have exceeded the expectations of tourism professionals, who showed low confidence levels in a survey by the UNWTO in May. Despite low confidence levels, business rebounded for a favorable 2013 so far, with optimism for the last four months of the year.
