International tourism demand exceeds expectations in first half of 2013

International tourist arrivals grew by five per cent during the first half of this year to an estimated 494 million compared with the same period last year, according to The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In the advance edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, data showed that growth was above the projection made at the beginning of the year, which was an increase of three to four per cent, and had also exceeded the trend of the UNWTO long-term outlook Tourism Towards 2030. UNWTO noted the growth was stronger in emerging economies' destinations, which grew by six per cent, than in advanced economies (up four per cent), a trend which has marked the sector for many years now. "The fact that international tourism grew above expectations confirms that travelling is now part of consumer patterns for an increasing number of people in both emerging and advanced economies. "This underlines the need to rightly place tourism as one of the key pillars of socio-economic development, being a leading contributor to economic growth, exports and jobs," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. On the region, the data revealed that tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific saw a robust growth of six per cent. This was driven by the increase in arrivals to Southeast Asia (up by 12 per cent), a subregion which has maintained the extraordinary momentum of recent years, and South Asia, which saw a growth of seven per cent.