COMCEC Tourism Outlook-2018

To analyze the tourism trends in these regions, it would be useful to compare the results of the

last decade. The figure below compares the shares of tourist arrivals by regions for the years

2000 and 2017.

Figure 0.3 Tourist Arrivals by Region (2000-2017)

Source: UNWTO, 2016

The figure demonstrates that there is a tendency of increase in tourist arrivals in Asia-Pacific

Region and decrease in Europe and Americas Region.

According to Tourism Towards 2030, UNWTO’s long-term outlook and assessment of future

tourism trends, the number of international tourist arrivals is expected to increase by 3.3% a

year on average from 2010 to 2030. This represents some 43 million more international tourist

arrivals every year, reaching a total of 1.4 billion arrivals by 2020, 1.5 billion arrivals by 2023

and 1.8 billion by 2030.

International tourist arrivals in the emerging-economy destinations of Asia, Latin America,

Central and Eastern Europe, Eastern Mediterranean Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will

grow at double the pace (4.4 percent a year) of advanced-economy destinations (2.2 percent a

year). Emerging economies’ annual growth rate is 4,5% while arrivals to advanced economies

only grew by 3,5%. The market share of emerging economies increased from 30% in 1980 to

45% in 2017, and is expected to reach 58% by 2030, equivalent to over 1 billion international

tourists.

International Tourism Receipts

As an internationally traded service, inbound tourismhas become one of the world’s major trade

categories. International tourism accounts for 30% of the world’s export of services and 7% of

overall exports of goods and services. Tourism has been growing faster than global trade for the

past several years. International tourism receipts are the earnings generated in receiving

countries from expenditures of international visitors on accommodation, food and drink, local

transport, entertainment, shopping and other services and goods. For the receiving country

receipts count as exports and for many destinations tourism is a vital source of foreign currency

earnings and an important contributor to the economy, creating much needed employment and

opportunities for development. From the period 1980 to 2017, international tourism receipts

increased from US$ 104 billion in 1980 to US$ 1,332 billion in 2017 (UNWTO, 2018a). Average

spending per arrival was also a little bit above 1000 US$.

Africa

America

19%

Asia/

Pacific

16%

Europe

57%

Middle

East

2000