The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects international tourist arrivals to rise between 3% and 4% in 2019. Europe is expected to have a similar progress to the world average this year, while the forecast for Asia and the Pacific is between 5% and 6%, with a very important growth potential in many emerging markets and emerging destinations.
2018 was the ninth consecutive year of sustained growth and tourism accounted for 7% of world exports, growing at a faster rate than merchandise exports in the last seven years.
According to the head of the UNWTO, after a period of solid growth that lasted almost two years, the world economy showed remarkable signs of slowdown in the second half of 2018 and in the first months of this year.
On the other hand, the UNWTO Secretary General stressed that one of the positive factors that stimulate international tourism has been the facilitation of visas and has referred to the recent initiatives undertaken by India, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Argentina , Brazil or Russia.