International tourism: results for the first months of 2018 exceed expectations

International tourist arrivals increased by 6% in the first four months of 2018 compared to the same period last year. These figures, which continue the strong trend observed in 2017 (+ 7%), even exceed the MTO forecasts for 2018 (+4% to +5%).
Growth was driven by Asia-Pacific (+8%) and Europe (+7%). Africa (+6%), the Middle East (+4%) and the Americas (+3%) also posted solid results.

« International tourism continues to grow strongly throughout the world, resulting in job creation in many economies. This growth reminds us of the need to strengthen our capacity to develop and manage tourism in a sustainable way, building smart destinations and making the most of technology and innovation, » said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Asia and Europe lead growth early 2018
From January to April 2018, international arrivals increased across all regions. Asia-Pacific (+8%) led the growth, driven by results in Southeast Asia (+10%) and South Asia (+9%).

Europe, the world’s leading tourist region, also recorded solid results during these four months (+7%), thanks to the dynamism of destinations in Southern and Mediterranean Europe and Western Europe (+8% in both cases).

Growth in the Americas is estimated at 3%, with South America (+8%) posting the best performance. The Caribbean (-9 per cent) is the only subregion to experience a decline in arrivals during the period, with some destinations still affected by the hurricanes of August and September 2017.

Limited information from Africa and the Middle East suggests growth of 6% and 4%, respectively, confirming the rebound in Middle East destinations and the consolidation of growth in Africa.

According to the latest survey of the UNWTO Tourism Expert Group, confidence in global tourism remains strong. The Group’s forecasts for the period from May to August are among the most favourable in the last ten years, driven by a particular sense of optimism in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Experts also expected a robust tourism performance in the first four months of 2018, in line with the strong results recorded by many destinations around the world.