COMCEC Tourism Outlook-2016
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currencies in 2015, earnings in local currencies converted to US$ were in many cases lower than
in 2014. In absolute terms, tourism receipts in OIC member states decreased by US$ 9 billion.
Generally, a certain destination becomes more price-competitive when its currency depreciates
relative to the currencies of its source markets. Similarly, it becomes less affordable, when its
currency appreciates against the currencies of its visitors. An appreciating currency increases
the purchasing power of a country’s travelers abroad, but makes that destination itself less
attractive to foreign markets against whose currencies it has appreciated.
It can be useful to analyze the trends by grouping the OIC member countries as OIC-MENA, OIC-
Asia, and OIC-Sub-Saharan Africa, which are provided at Figure 4.4.
It can be seen that OIC-MENA has the biggest share among tourist arrivals in the member states.
In this region, the number of tourist arrivals is forecasted to decrease from 119 million to 116
million in 2015 according to available data.
Figure 4.4 Tourist Arrivals in the OIC Sub-Regions (Millions)
Source: UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2006, 2009 and 2016 Editions.
Figure 4.4 shows that OIC-Asia has experienced continued expansion in tourist arrivals for the
period 2004-2014. However, in 2015, 50 million tourists travelled to OIC-Asia region. The OIC-
Sub Saharan Africa constitutes the smallest portion of the international OIC Tourism.
Similar analysis can be made for tourism receipts in these groups. Figure 4.5 shows that tourism
receipts in OIC-MENA is greater than the other two regions.
28 27 30
36 39 39 42 46 47 48 51 50
61
68
62
71
82 85
102 104
108
104
119 116
4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 8 7 8 7
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
OIC-ASIA OIC MENA OIC SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA