World Tourism Organization

A full visa liberalisation scenario would generate additional spending of €12.5bn per annum

The report said that Thailand recorded a total tourism expenditure of USD57 billion in 2017, ahead of Japan (USD34 billion), Hong Kong (USD33 billion), China (USD33 billion) and Taiwan (USD12 billion).

The increase was fuelled by strong demand from major source markets, supported by an upswing in the global economy. It comes after record year-round growth of 7% in 2017.

UNWTO will focus on five pillars for the period 2018-2019: innovation and the digital transformation; investments and entrepreneurship; education and employment; safe, secure and seamless travel; and social, cultural and environmental sustainability.

With the theme “2025 Silk Road Tourism Agenda”; the Ministers and Heads of the National Tourism Administrations shared their main ideas and strategies, which bring together 34 countries, Malaysia having become the latest member to join this initiative spearheaded by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Overall, he said, there were 1,235 million international arrivals around the world and already Asia and the Pacific were taking 25 percent of the market with the goal of reaching 30 percent by the year 2020.

Demand for international tourism remained strong during the Northern Hemisphere summer peak season. International tourist arrivals in July and August totalled over 300 million for the first time ever according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Many destinations reported double-digit growth, in particular in the Mediterranean.

The mandate of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics renewed until 2021.

A major milestone of the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly was the approval of two key documents: the Chengdu Declaration on Tourism and the SDGs and the Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics.

The UNWTO General Assembly will discuss the Chengdu Declaration on 'Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals'