As an affiliate member of UNWTO, ITTFA is able to provide its members with additional support and information on the global tourism industry, as well as giving support to UNWTO in some of its activities.

(TRAVPR.COM) Richmond UK, UK - 24th November, 2009 - In order to give advice to its members in the current economic crisis, the UNWTO produces the World Tourism Barometer. By monitoring short-term tourism trends on a regular basis, UNWTO aims to provide all those involved directly or indirectly in tourism with adequate up to-date statistics and analysis in a timely fashion.

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is published three times a year, in January, June and October and offers a unique overview of short term international tourism trends. Each issue contains three regular sections: an overview of short-term tourism trends including data on international tourist arrivals, tourism receipts and expenditure for over 100 countries worldwide and data on air transport on major routes; a retrospective and prospective evaluation of current tourism performance by the members of the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts; and selected economic data relevant for tourism.

With the world facing the most severe recession of the post second world war period, tourism has been seriously impacted, although coping better than some other sectors. Tourism demand experienced a sharp downturn in the middle of 2008 and as expected, the decline in demand intensified in 2009 under the impact of the rapid deterioration of the world economy and of the influenza (AH1N1) outbreak. International tourist arrivals worldwide declined by 7% in the period January to July 2009, compared to a still very bullish first part of 2008.

However, the latest data from the October Barometer indicates that decline in international tourism may have bottomed out. Preliminary results for July and August, the two high season months, show a smaller decline compared to the same months last year at only -3% thus signifying a gradual pick up in global travel and a more optimistic trend.

About the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is prepared by UNWTO’s Market Trends, Competitiveness and Trade in Tourism Services Section, with the collaboration of consultants, Nancy Cockerell and David Stevens.

For more information on the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, including copies of previous issues, please refer to the Facts & Figures section on the UNWTO website at www.unwto.org/facts/menu.html.

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