International tourism experiencing clear slowdown, UN agency finds

International tourism has started slowing rapidly since the middle of the year, reflecting consumer concern worldwide and rising inflation in many countries, the United Nations reports in its latest measure of the health of the global travel industry.

The regular barometer of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), released yesterday, found that growth in the number of international tourist arrivals fell below 2 per cent in June, July, August after averaging 5.7 per cent between January and April.

UNWTO said its initial forecasts indicate there will be “an even more modest performance” in the tourism sector in 2009 as the effects of the global financial crisis continue to take their toll, with many consumers finding that their travel budgets are being squeezed.

But overall growth for 2008 is still projected to reach about 2 per cent, thanks in part to ongoing robust growth in the Middle East and a better-than-expected performance in the Americas. Europe, the Asia-Pacific and Africa have recorded weaker results.

Between January and August this year, 642 million international arrivals were counted, a rise of 23 million on the same period last year, according to UNWTO.

The Madrid-based agency noted in a press release that tourism has so far resisted the global economic downturn better than many other sectors, such as construction or car manufacturing.

However, the average length of stay for many holiday-makers is set to shorten, cheaper destinations are becoming more popular, and many consumers are turning to destinations closer to their homes.

The barometer was released a day ahead of today’s international gathering in London of government tourism ministers, and this meeting is itself being followed a series of regional response groups, starting with the Middle East later this month.