The World Tourism Organization reports that results for the period from January to August 2004 show a spectacular rebound of tourism as all regions saw a surge in international arrivals. The organization says that worldwide the number of international tourist arrivals is estimated to have grown by 12% compared to the same months of the previous year. Secretary General Francesco Frangialli highlighted that tourism is firmly back on the upward track, following last year?s depressed figures due to the Iraq war, SARS and the weak economy.
For the entire eight-month period from January to August, the number of international tourist arrivals is estimated to have reached around 526 million, corresponding to an increase of some 58 million arrivals (+12%) compared to the same period of 2003.
The Caribbean received its share of the increase in travel. WTO reports that Caribbean arrivals grew by 8% over the first eight months of 2004, and apart from some exceptions such as Bermuda or Martinique, all destinations maintained the good results of the final months of 2003, as competitive advantages derived from a weak US dollar continued. Major destinations such as the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico reported increases between 7% and 10%, while many of the smaller destinations reported double-digit increases.
For further information, see http://www.world-tourism.org/facts/wtb.html