UK (30 July 2003) - GLOBAL tourism is on the road to recovery despite worries over terrorism and SARS, with visitor numbers expected to increase strongly for the foreseeable future, a British research group said today. Germany, Britain, and the United States, the top three nations for providing tourists, are expected to see 240 million people going abroad on holiday by 2005, up from less than 185 million in 1999, Mintel said. The number of tourists heading overseas around the world is forecast to grow right through to 2015, it said. Germany will continue to produce the greatest number of foreign travellers in 2015, but Britain is predicted to overtake the US into second place by that time. "What this proves is that UK holidaymakers are a resilient bunch. People will resist giving up their overseas holidays," Keith Betton, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents told the report. American tourists, however, are forecast to hold on to their position as the highest spenders. In 2001, US travellers spent almost $US60 billion ($92.76 billion) when overseas, well ahead of Germans at over $US46 billion ($71.12 billion) and Britain with $US37 billion ($57.2 billion). | | A key area of future travel growth is expected to be people from emerging markets such as China and Russia, as outward travel restrictions are gradually removed. These two countries are forecast to see the highest growth in outbound tourism between 1999 and 2005, with average annual increases of 19 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Other factors were contributing, said Mintel spokeswoman Yasmin Razak. "People are not taking long-haul trips anymore, resulting in more trips," she said. "The growth of low cost airlines is also enabling more and more travel abroad," she added. World tourism has been in the doldrums since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. It was dealt a further blow by the recent SARS virus scare which led to a shortfall in tourism, with the Far East and Canada being the areas worst hit. |
