Global tourism slows due to crisis, A(H1N1) scare: UN
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 07/08/2009 12:39 PM
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The movement of tourists across countries slowed during the first four months of the year as concerns about the global economic crisis and the influenza A(H1N1) outbreak caused them to delay their travel plans, data from the United Nations' World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) showed.
According to the June edition of UNWTO's World Tourism Barometer, destinations worldwide had a total of 247 million international tourist arrivals from January to April 2009, an 8-percent drop from the 269 million recorded in the same period last year.
"Results reflect the severe impact of the global economic crisis and all the associated causes and effects, exacerbated in some regions by concerns about the outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) virus," UNWTO said in a statement.
The latest data prompted UNWTO to downscale its 2009 growth forecast for the global tourism industry to a range of -4 percent to -6 percent. In January, the UNWTO's projection was between a flat growth and a 2-percent contraction.
UNWTO said the tourism sector was greatly affected by the crisis, particularly by the sharp reduction in business activity, decreasing disposable income, and associated increased unemployment.
The Middle East posted an 18-percent drop in tourist arrivals, while Europe suffered a 10-percent decline during the four-month period. On the other hand, arrivals in the Americas and Asia Pacific saw contractions of 5 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
Africa, meanwhile, was the only region to buck the downward trend with a 3-percent growth.
Still optimistic
The UNWTO said arrivals in Southeast Asia, where the Philippines is grouped together with nine other countries, were down 6.3 percent from January to April this year.
Among the Southeast Asian countries, the UN body said only Malaysia reported a growth in arrivals during the four-month period.
Despite the deepening crisis and the A(H1N1) scare, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is aiming to reach the 3-million mark in tourist arrivals this year, about the same level in 2008.
DOT refused to disclose figures since the start of the year, but the department said it expects arrivals to continue in the coming months as it intensifies its campaign to attract visitors from countries such as India.
"The emerging market of India is a significant source of arrivals, especially since global tourism groups point to the remarkable growth of India's outbound tourists which are also in the high-spending bracket," Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said, adding that more than 300 tourists from two Indian companies are set to visit the country this year.
Citing this year's International Tourism Bourse World Travel Trends Report, Durano said India's outbound travelers recorded a 13-percent increase in overall trip volume last year, surpassing initial forecasts.
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