Tourists drawn to developing countries

With 2007 tourist arrivals in general up 6 percent form the previous year, the tourism industry has avoided the pitfalls of other industries in these tight times for many. The growth figure was higher at 8 percent when it comes to developing countries. The UNWTO, who laid out a set of UN Millennium Development Goals at the turn of the millennium relating to developing countries and their uses of sustainable tourism, says this is a factor in the rising trends of tourism in less affluent nations.

Developing countries’ market share has grown from 34 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2007, with tourist arrivals increasing 54 percent, 6 percent per year, to reach 360 million tourists.

Many countries that are still in the process of social and economic development have embraced tourism as a way to strengthen local economies and create jobs. Tourism investment has seen large increases in areas of the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America as well as the Asia Pacific region.

The UNWTO expects developing nations to once again be out front as far as popularity goes in 2008, with continued, steady growth.