The International Tourism Organization has confirmed in a report that the number of tourists to the Middle East has increased, achieving a growth rate of 17.5 percent.
The tourist resources in the Middle East and the general trend towards peace in the region have contributed to providing opportuninities for the countries and people of the region to exchange tourist related projects. This has resulted in the growth of tourism sector and the increase in the number of tourists, the report added.
Al Ahram newspaper said that the report suggested that Egypt has achieved an extraordinary growth rate in tourism reaching approximately 40 percent.
A report released by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry stated that Egypt achieved last year an unprecedented growth record, with the number of tourists totalling 4.8 million, who contributed 4 billion dollars in revenues.
On the other hand, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, Mamdouh Al Biltaji, revealed to the Egyptian Parliament that the gross revenues from tourism reached 3.4 billion dollars last year, which has replenished the deficit in the trade balance by not less than 25.3 percent.
The London-based Asharq Al Awsat newspaper cited the Minister as saying that around 3.2 million citizens engage directly or indirectly in touristic activities. He reiterated the need for enhancing tourism and creating awareness regarding its importance.
“Tourism has added 11,000 square kilometers to the inhabited areas, which means a useful distribution of of citizens in these areas and a decrease in the population density and problems in the old areas,” the minister added.
Globally, the number of international tourists increased to 275 million during the last year. The international gross revenues from tourism amounted to 455 billion dollars last year after a slim growth in international tourism that lasted two years, the International Tourism Organization reported.
The report also stated that Asia and the Pacific Rim Region has returned, after two years of negative results, to assume a leading position in the international touristic attraction in 1999. It has achieved a growth rate of 7.5 percent attracting 84 millions of tourists. Tourism has also grown by 17.5 percent in the Middle East and 23 percent in Central America, while it has reached 9 percent in Africa, which is three times the average growth achieved internationally. Morocco has led the other African countries as it has achieved a 33 percent growth in tourism.
The European tourism growth rate has been one percent, varying from one area to another. In the south of the continent, Spain was the leading country achieving a growth rate of 8.8 percent, Greece five percent, Portugal three percent, while the average number of tourists to Eastern and Central Europe dropped by different rates – Albawaba.com
