Global tourism revenues set record in 2012

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Tourists from Asia exploring Hallstatt, Austria.

Travel and tourism a key driver in world economy

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The global tourism economy hummed along at a record pace in 2012, growing by 4 percent and generating a total of $1.3 trillion when international passenger transit revenues are included in the equation.

“It is encouraging to see that the growth in international tourist arrivals was equalled by a comparable increase in spending in spite of continued economic challenges,” said United Nations World Tourism Organization secretary-general Taleb Rifai. “Considering that tourism is a key export for many economies around the world, this result is good news as it provides foreign reserves to destinations, and contributes to job creation in tourism as well as in related economic sectors,” he added.

By regions, the Americas recorded the largest increase in receipts, plus 7 percent, followed by Asia and the Pacific ( plus 6 percent), Africa ( plus 5 percent) and Europe (plus 2 percent). Receipts in the Middle East were down about 2 percent but improving compared to the double-digit decline recorded in 2011. (more…)

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New tourism policy to boost outbound Chinese travel

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Tourism destinations around the world could benefit from a new policy encouraging Chinese people to travel.

Government wants to encourage both domestic and foreign travel

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Chinese travelers are already boosting tourism economies around the world, but a new national policy that specifically encourages travel abroad could lead to an increase surge of business at popular destinations, according to the World Tourism Organization.

The Outline for National Tourism and Leisure (2013-2020), issued by the State Council of China, the country´s highest level of government, presents a roadmap for restructuring the current paid leave system across China. (more…)

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Global tourism continues steady growth

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Tourists take photos at the Golden Gate Bridge overlook in Marin County, California.

Tourists take photos at the Golden Gate Bridge overlook in Marin County, California. Bob Berwyn photo.

UN officials see tourism as an economic pillar

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Now that the World Tourism Organization has counted every last airline traveler, cruise passenger and backpacker, it’s official — international tourist arrivals grew by 4 percent in 2012 to surpass 1 billion for the first time ever, according to the latest update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

Emerging economies led the way, showing growth of 4.1 percent, compared to 3.6 percent growth among advanced economies, with Asia and the Pacific showing the strongest results. By region, Asia and the Pacific showed 7.1 percent growth. By sub-region, South-East Asia, North Africa (both at  plus 9 percent) and Central and Eastern Europe (plus 8 percent) topped the rankings.

Tourism officials say they expect growth to continue in 2013 at a slightly slower pace between 3 and 4 percent, continuing the trend from the last quarter of 2012, when demand was stronger than expected. (more…)

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Tourism: 1 billion travelers take to the road in 2012

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Travel continues to boost economies around the world

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Europe still accounts for more than half of the global tourism market, but Asia is catching up.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — As expected, global tourism hit a significant milestone late this year, with more than 1 billion travelers taking to the skies, seas and highways to visit destinations near and far, according to the World Tourism Organization, which closely monitors world travel statistics.

Tourism growth continued in 2012 despite continued economic challenges. The WTO said the relative strength of sector underscores the economic importance of tourism, accounting for 9 percent of global GDP (direct, indirect and induced impact), one in every 12 jobs and up to 8 percent of the total exports of the world’s least developed countries.

“Today, we welcome the symbolic arrival of the one-billionth tourist” UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai said Dec. 13 at a ceremony in Madrid.

Rifai emphasized travel and tourism as a potentially powerful force for good:

“Your actions count. That is our message to the one billion tourists. Through the right actions and choices, each tourist represents an opportunity for a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable future,” he said.

As it is impossible to know exactly where the one-billionth tourist arrived, so many countries  celebrated the the occasion by welcoming tourists arriving on 13 December.

To coincide with the milestone, the WTO launched a new One Billion Tourists: One Billion Opportunities campaign, showing tourists that respecting local culture, preserving heritage or buying local goods when travelling can make a big difference. The public was asked to vote for the Travel Tip that would have the greatest benefit for the people and places they visit and to pledge to follow that tip when traveling.

The winning tip, revealed on the arrival date of the one-billionth tourist, was “buy local,” encouraging tourists to buy food and souvenirs locally, or hire local guides, to ensure their spending translates into jobs and income for host communities. A close second, “respect local culture,” calls on tourists to learn more about their destination’s traditions, or some words in the local language, before leaving home.

 

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Colorado: Another record year for tourism?

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

International numbers strong through August: Colorado benefits from growth in international travel

Tourists and locals enjoy a concert at the Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — Global tourism grew by a healthy 4 percent between January and August 2012 compared to the same period the previous year, according to the latest figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, which estimated about 705 million international arrivals during that span.

Based on those numbers, the global tourism market is still on pace to surpass 1 billion arrivals for the first time ever, and Colorado appears to have benefited from the industry’s strength.

“International numbers were up throughout the state … some reports indicate international visits were up as much as 30 percent,” said Al White, director of the Colorado Tourism Office. “This was due to a variety of reasons; a weak dollar versus most international currencies, as well as an increased effort on the part of the Administration to reduce obstacles to entry.  Visa interview wait times were decreased dramatically in Brazil, China, and Russia,” White said. (more…)

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Global tourist visits on track to pass 1-billion mark

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Tourists and locals throng the Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany.

WTO reports record numbers for first half of 2012

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Travelers from some of the world’s biggest countries helped spur global tourism to a new record level during the first half of 2012, keeping the industry on track to pass the 1-billion mark for the first time this year.

Through the end of June, the World Tourism Organization tallied 467 million tourist visits worldwide, a 5 percent increase from the same period last year. Economic uncertainties may slow growth the rest of the year, but international arrivals are still forecast to exceed 1 billion by the end of 2012.

Economic powerhouses China (plus 30 percent), the Russian Federation (up 15 percent), the USA (plus 9 percent), Germany (plus 6 percent) and Canada (up 6 percent) led the way in terms of outbound markets. Japan showed an 8 percent increase in spending on overseas tourism, a sign of recovery in an important market. (more…)

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World Tourism Day focuses on sustainable energy

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

The Colorado ski industry has done very little to address its massive environmental impact, including significant greenhouse gas emissions and unsustainable use of water.

Colorado tourism industry lags on environmental front

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — In an era when reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been targeted as a critical priority, it’s more challenging than ever to reconcile tourism with environmental concerns.

Some parts of the tourism industry are big contributors to climate change, including energy use in lodging facilities (think of all the laundry and dishes being washed on a daily basis), as well as transportation, especially automobiles and passenger jets.

In the face of those impacts, some of the minor efforts by the industry seem almost insignificant, but at least on a global scale, tourism leaders are thinking about how to boost the use of sustainable and renewable energy in the sector.

The World Tourism Organization has faced accusations of trying to greenwash tourism, but the global body has taken a few concrete steps toward promoting sound environmental policies. (more…)

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Global tourism revenues hit $1 trillion mark in 2011

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

2012 starts strong; international tourism arrivals up 5.7 percent over 2011

Tourists gather at a summer music festival at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Global tourism growth continued to outpace most other economic sectors during the first two months of 2012, with international tourist arrivals up 5.7 percent over the same period in 2011, according to the World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Barometer.

The WTO also said that international annual tourism revenues passed the $1 trillion mark for the first time in 2011. Overall, 2011 global tourism receipts grew by 3.8 percent from the previous year, along with a 4.6 percent increase in tourism arrivals worldwide.

Tourism revenues continued to recover from the losses suffered in 2009 and hit new records in many destinations, reaching a total of $1.03 trillion. The biggest growth was in the Americans, at 5.7 percent, followed by Europe (5.2 percent), Asia and the Pacific (4.3 percent) and Africa (2.2 percent). (more…)

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Tourism: G20 countries seek to ease visa burdens

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Tourism ministers from the G20 countries have agreed to try and ease visa burdens to spur international travel.

Tourism ministers meet, hope to spur more travel to boost economies

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Tourism ministers from G20 countries have made a formal declaration that they’ll seek to ease visa burdens to boost international travel and tourism, seen as a way to potentially add 5 million jobs and generate $206 million in tourism revenue by 2015, according to figures from the World Tourism Organization.

The recently adopted declaration encourages G20 countries to leverage new technologies to make travel  “more accessible, convenient and more efficient without a diminution of national security.” It also encourages countries look into increasing cooperation on bilateral, regional and international travel facilitation regimes. (more…)

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April conference to discuss mountain tourism 2.0

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Emerging tourism technologies and social media the focus of international shindig in Andorra

Grand Mesa, near Grand Junction, Colorado.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Tourism experts from mountain communities around the world will focus on the role of emerging technologies when they meet next month in Andorra at the 7th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism.

Leading experts will discuss the new technologies that have emerged over the past years and their role in revolutionizing tourism marketing, as well as consumer behavior before, during and after a trip. Under the title, Mountain Tourism 2.0: New Strategies for Success, the Congress — organized by the World Tourism Organization, will outline  strategies needed to attract new visitors and open up mountain destinations to the world market. @UNWTO for Twitter updates.

“Snow and mountain tourism is an extremely popular market, but one that faces a number of challenges,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “Innovation and new technologies can play an exciting role in helping these destinations to remain competitive and diversify their tourism product, ensuring year-round tourism, and should be put to greater use.”  (more…)

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