International
Tourism Highlights
2019 Edition
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2009
2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
International tourism continues to
outpace the global economy
2
Driven by a relatively strong global economy, a growing
middle class in emerging economies, technological
advances, new business models, affordable travel
costs and visa facilitation, international tourist arrivals
grew 5% in 2018 to reach the 1.4 billion mark. This
figure was reached two years ahead of UNWTO
forecast.
At the same time, export earnings generated by
tourism have grown to USD 1.7 trillion. This makes
the sector a true global force for economic growth
and development, driving the creation of more and better jobs and serving as catalyst for
innovation and entrepreneurship. In short, tourism is helping build better lives for millions of
individuals and transforming whole communities.
Growth in international tourist arrivals and receipts continues to outpace the world economy
and both emerging and advanced economies are benefiting from rising tourism income.
For the seventh year in a row, tourism exports grew faster than merchandise exports,
reducing trade deficits in many countries.
With such growth comes more responsibility in ensuring effective destination management
that minimizes any adverse effect of tourism. Managing tourism in a sustainable manner for
the benefit of all is more critical than ever. We need to grow more in value rather than just in
volume. Digitalization, innovation, greater accessibility and societal changes are expected
to continue shaping our sector. Both destinations and companies will need to adapt to
remain competitive, while at the same time embracing tourism as a means of achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals and building a better future for all.
Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary-General
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
1.4 billion
Total international tourist arrivals
+5%
+4%
USD 1.7 trillion
Total international tourism exports
(International tourism receipts + passenger transport)
Revenues from visitor spending have grown faster
than the world economy
5.2
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
3.8
4.4
3.6
■	 Receipts (% change, real terms)
■	 GDP (% change, real terms)
International tourism receipts and world GDP (% change)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), July 2019.
(%change)
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2018 – 9th consecutive year of
sustained growth
3
Asia and the Pacific
348 million +7%
USD 435 billion +7%
Europe
710 million +5%
USD 570 billion +5%
Americas
216 million +2%
USD 334 billion +0%
Middle East
60 million +5%
USD 73 billion +4%
Africa
67 million +7%
USD 38 billion +2%
Tourism has seen continued expansion over time, despite
occasional shocks, demonstrating the sector’s strength and resilience
International tourist arrivals (million) and tourism receipts (USD billion)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), July 2019. 	
7.0
5.2 5.4
4.4
■	 Arrivals (% change)
■	 Receipts (% change, real terms)
International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts (% change)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), July 2019. 	
2009
2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
‘95 ‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 ‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
■	 Arrivals (million)
■	 Receipts (USD billion)
1,451
1,401
Map of international tourist arrivals (million) and tourism receipts (USD billion)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), July 2019.
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The Big Picture
Strong economy drives tourism growth
44
Favourable economic environment
•	 2018 World GDP = +3.6%.
•	 Exchange rate movements generally moderate.
•	 Low interest rates.
Strong demand for air travel
•	 +6% in international passenger traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs)
according to IATA.
•	 Stable fuel prices and lower fares (fares at -60% vs 1998).
•	 Over the past two decades, the number of unique city pairs connected by air transport
has more than doubled, reaching more than 20,000 at ever lower costs.
Digital technologies are shaping traveller’s experience
•	 Artificial Intelligence is transforming tourism, from virtual assistants to companies
being able to offer hyper-personalized customer experiences and improve business
performance.
•	 An increasing number of destinations are measuring tourism in real time for a better
management of visitor flows.
Enhanced visa facilitation
•	 eVisas and visas on arrival on the rise while traditional visas are decreasing.
•	 The share of world population requiring a traditional visa declined from 75% in 1980
to 53% in 2018.
•	 However, half of the world population still needed a traditional visa in 2018.
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Air Transport Association (IATA).
World population affected by visas, 1980 versus 2018 (% share)
Source: UNWTO Visa Facilitation Report, 2018.	
53
21
16
10
1980 2018
Traditional visa
No visa required
Visa on arrival
eVisa
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
(%share)
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The Big Picture
Societal changes
55
Sustainability and competitiveness go hand in hand as destinations
and businesses can become more competitive through the efficient
use of resources, the promotion of biodiversity conservation and
actions to tackle climate change.
Sustainability, a key part of tourism policies in 101 UNWTO Member States
surveyed
100 %
refer to
sustainability
as an objective
67% 
refer to
resource
efficiency
64 %
connect
sustainability and
competitiveness
55%
refer to
sustainability
extensively
10 years
average
duration
of tourism policies
Source: UNWTO Baseline Report on the Integration of Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns into Tourism Policies, 2019.
Consumer travel trends
•	Travel ‘to change’	
Live like a local, quest for authenticity and transformation.
•	Travel ‘to show’
‘Instagramable’ moments, experiences and destinations.
•	Pursuit of a healthy life
Walking, wellness and sports tourism.
•	Rise of the ‘access’ economy.
•	Solo travel & multigenerational travel
as a result of aging population and single households.
•	Rising awareness on sustainability
zero plastic and climate change.
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7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Regional Tourism Results
Asia and the Pacific led growth in both arrivals and receipts
66
Europe accounts for half of the world’s international arrivals,
followed by Asia and the Pacific with 1 in 4 arrivals
International tourism receipts, 2018 (% share)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 	
International tourist arrivals, 2018 (% share)
Europe represents almost 40% of international tourism receipts,
followed by Asia and the Pacific with almost one third
Europe 51%
Middle East 4%
Africa 5%
Americas 15%
Asia and the Pacific 25%
Arrivals
Europe 39%
Africa 3%
Middle East 5%
Americas 23%
Asia and the Pacific 30%
Receipts
Asia and the Pacific, recorded the highest growth in arrivals,
closely followed by Africa
International tourism receipts by regions, 2018 (% change)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 	
International tourist arrivals by regions, 2018	
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Bubble size equivalent to number of international tourist arrivals.
Asia and the Pacific and Europe enjoyed above-average growth
in tourism earnings
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2 4 6 8 10 (% change)
(million)
Asia
and the Pacific
Europe World Middle East Africa Americas
+7%
+5%
+4% +4%
+2%
+0%
Europe +5%
Americas +2%
Middle East +5%
Asia and the Pacific +7%
Africa +7%
(%change)
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Means and Purpose of Travel
Travelling for leisure and by air dominates international tourism
77
Mode of transport, 2018 (% share)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 	
•	 Leisure travel is the main purpose of visit in all world regions except the
Middle East, where visiting friends and relatives (VFR), or for health or religious
purposes predominates.
•	 The share of leisure travel has grown from 50% in 2000 to 56% in 2018.
•	 The share of air travel has increased from 46% in 2000 to 58% in 2018,
while land transport has decreased from 49% to 39% in the same period.
Air 58%
Road 37%
Train 2%
Water 4%
Mode of
transport
Leisure,
recreation,
holidays 56%
VFR, health,
religion, other 27%
Business and
professional 13%
Not specified 4%
Purpose
of visit
Purpose of visit, 2018 (% share)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 	
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5
6
3
4
2009
2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
15
10
5
0
´-5
-10
-15
■	 Merchandise exports (% change)
■	 International tourism exports (% change, real terms)
International tourism exports
Tourism grows faster than merchandise trade
88
Export earnings by product category, 2017 (USD billion)
Source: 	World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and World Trade Organization (WTO).
Note: 	 Ranking of export categories for 2018 will be available in late 2019.
Tourism is the world’s third largest export category after chemicals
and fuels, and ahead of automotive products and food (2017)
Chemicals 1,993
Fuels 1,960
International tourism 1,586
	Automotive products 1,470
	Food 1,466
Export revenues from international tourism and merchandise exports (% change)
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and World Trade Organization (WTO).
For the seventh year in a row, total export revenues from international
tourism grew faster than merchandise exports
Source: 	World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and World Trade Organization (WTO).
Note: 	 Export revenues from international tourism are composed of “travel” (receipts in destinations) and “passenger transport” 	
receipts, both credit items in the Balance of Payments of countries.
USD 1.5
trillion
receipts in destinations
=
USD 1.7
trillion
exports from
international tourism
in 2018
+
USD 256
billion
passenger transport
7%
of global exports
29%
of world’s services
exports
Tourism generates USD 5 billion a day in exports
•	 2018 saw an extra USD 121 billion in export revenues from international tourism (travel
and passenger transport) compared to 2017.
•	 Export earnings from international tourism are an important source of foreign revenues
for many destinations in the world.
•	 Tourism is an important component of export diversification both for emerging and
advanced economies, with a strong capacity to reduce trade deficits and to compensate
for weaker export revenues from other goods and services.
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Top destinations
8 out of the 10 top destinations are featured in both rankings
9
The top 10 destinations receive 40% of worldwide arrivals
Top ten destinations by international tourist arrivals, 2018
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).	
The top 10 tourism earners account for almost 50% of total tourism
receipts
Top 10 destinations by international tourism receipts, 2018	
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).	
million Arrivals in top destinations % change
89 France 3
83 Spain 1
80 United States of America 4
63 China 4
62 Italy 7
46 Turkey 22
41 Mexico 5
39 Germany 4
38 Thailand 8
36 United Kingdom
USD billion Top tourism earners % change (real terms)
214 United States of America 2
74 Spain 4
67 France 6
63 Thailand 5
52 United Kingdom 2
49 Italy 7
45 Australia 11
43 Germany 3
41 Japan 19
40 China 21
DID YOU
KNOW ?
The country with the highest receipts
per arrival is Luxembourg followed
by Australia both earning about
USD 4,900 per international arrival
-4
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Europe
Southern Mediterranean destinations led growth
•	 2018 was the ninth year in a row of sustained growth in Europe, the world’s most visited
region.
•	 Southern and Mediterranean Europe led results, with most destinations enjoying
double-digit growth. Among the larger destinations, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Croatia
saw robust performance. Turkey continued its strong recovery, backed by a favourable
exchange rate. After several years of remarkable growth in volume, Spain, the subregion’s
largest destination, showed solid growth in tourism earnings in 2018.
•	 Destinations in Central and Eastern Europe grew in line with the region’s average.
Visa facilitation led to an increase of Chinese tourists in some destinations. The Russian
Federation hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup and recorded double-digit increase in
international tourism receipts.
•	 Positive performance in Western Europe was led by Belgium, which consolidated its
rebound, and the Netherlands.
•	 Northern Europe recorded flat growth with mixed performance among destinations.
Northern
Europe
+1%
tourist arrivals
+1%
tourism receipts
Southern / Mediterranean
Europe
+8%
tourist arrivals
+7%
tourism receipts
Western
Europe
+4%
tourist arrivals
+3%
tourism receipts
Central Eastern
Europe
+5%
tourist arrivals
+9%
tourism receipts
International tourist arrivals 2018
International tourism receipts 2018
710
million +5%
51%
share
USD 570
billion
+5%
39%
share
10
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11
•	 Growing purchasing power, increased air connectivity and enhanced visa facilitation
continued to boost travel within and outside the region.
•	 Results were driven by South Asia, with double-digit growth in Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka and
the subregion’s largest destination India.
•	 Growth in North-East Asia, the largest subregion in Asia, was solid overall. The Republic
of Korea, which successfully hosted the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, rebounded
strongly and led results. Japan, which has become the third largest destination in Asia,
surpassed the 30 million mark in arrivals and generated USD 7 billion more in revenue.
Japan will host the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Summer Olympics 2020. The Greater
Bay Area saw the opening of the Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, enhancing connectivity.
•	 In South-East Asia, most destinations posted strong growth, particularly Vietnam.
Outbound from China and India fuelled growth in many destinations in the subregion.
Thailand, the subregion’s largest destination, added almost 3 million more arrivals and
USD 6 billion more in receipts.
•	 Growth in Oceania was driven by Australia, helped by a more favourable Australian dollar.
South-East Asia
+7%
tourist arrivals
+5%
tourism receipts
Oceania
+3%
tourist arrivals
+7%
tourism receipts
International tourist arrivals 2018
International tourism receipts 2018
348
million +7%
25%
share
USD 435
billion +7%
30%
share
North-East Asia
+6%
tourist arrivals
+9%
tourism receipts
South Asia
+19%
tourist arrivals
+10%
tourism receipts
Asia and the Pacific
Fastest-growing region in 2018
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12
•	 North America (two-third of total arrivals in the region), led growth, with continued solid
performance from Mexico and positive results from the United States.
•	 Following a strong 2017, South America posted mixed results with continued strong
results in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, while a decline from major outbound market
Argentina affected some neighbouring destinations. Conversely, a weaker Argentinean
peso contributed to growth in Argentina.
•	 Results in Central America were rather slow due to weaker growth in arrivals from the
region, despite an increase in overseas flows. Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala stood
out with robust growth.
•	 The Caribbean continued to show mixed results - solid growth in some destinations
such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, while some other were still struggling
with the effects of the strong hurricanes of August and September 2017.
North America
+4%
tourist arrivals
+0%
tourism receipts
South America
+1%
tourist arrivals
+3%
tourism receipts
Central America
-2%
tourist arrivals
+1%
tourism receipts
Caribbean
-1%
tourist arrivals
-1%
tourism receipts
International tourist arrivals 2018
International tourism receipts 2018
216
million +2%
15%
share
USD 334
billion +0%
23%
share
The Americas
Mixed results across destinations
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Africa
Robust performance in North Africa
13
•	 Growth was led by North Africa, as Tunisia continued to consolidate recovery thanks to
the lifting of negative travel advice and an increase in visitor flows from European source
markets. Morocco, the subregion’s largest destination, grew at a robust rate.
•	 In Subsaharan Africa, island destinations Reunion, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Mauritius
and Seychelles posted robust growth. Kenya recorded positive results, thanks to
improved security and more air connectivity, as well as Togo, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire and
Zimbabwe. The subregion’s most visited destination South Africa reported moderate
growth, partly due to a strong currency and a drought crisis in Cape Town in 2018.
North Africa
+10%
tourist arrivals
+4%
tourism receipts
Subsaharan
Africa
+5%
tourist arrivals
+1%
tourism receipts
International tourist arrivals 2018
International tourism receipts 2018
67
million +7%
5%
share
USD 38
billion +2%
3%
share
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The Middle East
Results reflect continued rebound in some destinations
14
•	 Tourism is a major pillar in some destinations, while some oil-based economies are
opening up for strong tourism development.
•	 Egypt continued to enjoy solid rebound with double-digit growth in arrivals and receipts,
thanks to an increase in visitors from Germany, Italy and other European source markets.
Jordan and Lebanon also performed well in 2018.
•	 Results in Saudi Arabia, the largest destination in the region, were comparatively slower,
as well as in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), host of the 2020 Expo Dubai.
•	 Qatar started to recover in the second half of the year from the diplomatic crisis thanks
to visa facilitation, investments and marketing in a number of source markets. Qatar has
become the most visa open country in the Middle East.
Middle East
+5%
tourist arrivals
+4%
tourism receipts
International tourist arrivals 2018
International tourism receipts 2018
60
million +5%
4%
share
USD 73
billion +4%
5%
share
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284421152-Monday,February01,20212:46:47AM-IPAddress:193.84.223.73
Outbound tourism
France, the Russian Federation and Australia showed the highest
growth in spending
15
Europe accounts for almost 1 in 2 trips in the world
Outbound tourism by region of origin, 2018 (% share)
Source: 	World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Note: 	 Calculated based on international arrivals generated.
	
China remains the world’s largest spender, with one fifth of
international tourism spending, followed by the United States
Top 10 countries by international tourism spending, 2018	
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).	
DID YOU
KNOW ?
Around 10% of China’s 1.4 billion
inhabitants travel internationally.
By 2027, the number of passport
holders is expected to reach
300 million or 20% of the
Chinese population.
Europe 48%
Not specified 3%Africa 3%
Americas 17%
Middle East 3%
Asia and
the Pacific 26%
Outbound
tourism by region
of origin
Source: 	UNWTO/GTERC Asia Tourism Trends, 2018 Edition; China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, 2018.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
USD billion Top tourism spenders % change (real terms)
277 China 5
144 United States of America 7
94 Germany 1
76 United Kingdom 3
48 France 11
37 Australia 10
35 Russian Federation 11
33 Canada 4
32 Korea (ROK) 1
30 Italy 4
4 of 5 tourists travel
within their own region
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16
Statistical Annex - Outbound Tourism by Generating Region
International Tourist Arrivals
(million) Share
(%)
Change
(%)
Av. annual
growth
(%)
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2016 2017 2018* 2018* 17/16 18*/17 ‘10-’18*
World 438 531 680 809 952 1,196 1,241 1,329 1,401 100 7,0 5,4 5,0
From
Europe 254.6 308.1 396.4 450.7 490.8 581.8 592.8 636.6 672.3 48.0 7.4 5.6 4.0
Asia and the Pacific 58.7 86.2 113.8 152.9 205.3 293.6 314.4 337.6 358.7 25.6 7.4 6.2 7.2
Americas 99.4 108.2 130.6 136.5 155.4 200.2 211.6 227.3 235.0 16.8 7.4 3.4 5.3
Middle East 8.2 8.5 12.8 21.5 33.5 39.7 36.3 36.8 40.6 2.9 1.5 10.2 2.4
Africa 9.8 11.5 14.9 19.4 28.3 36.0 39.6 42.5 45.5 3.2 7.3 7.1 6.1
Origin not specified¹ 7.6 8.7 12.0 28.4 38.3 44.3 46.4 47.9 49.0 3.5
Same region 353.1 427.2 539.0 630.8 722.6 906.1 941.0 1.003 1.058 75.5 6.6 5.4 4.9
Other regions 77.7 95.3 129.5 150.2 190.6 245.1 253.8 277.6 294.2 21.0 9.4 6.0 5.6
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©									 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
¹ Arrivals that could not be allocated to a specific region of origin. This is the case when data on the country of origin is not reported, or when it is grouped under the ‘Other countries of the world’ category.
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17
Statistical Annex - International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts
International Tourism by (Sub)region
International tourist arrivals International tourism receipts
(million) Share
(%)
Change
(%)
Av. annual
growth
(%)
(USD billion) (EUR billion) Share
(%)
Change (%)
(real terms)²
2010 2017 2018* 2018* 17/16 18*/17 ‘10-’18* 2010 2017 2018 2010 2017 2018 2018 17/16 18*17
World 952 1,329 1,401 100 7.0 5.4 5.0 975 1,346 1,451 736 1,192 1,229 100 5.2 4.4
Advanced economies¹ 515 730 762 54.4 6.3 4.3 5.0 638 869 937 481 769 793 64.6 4.0 3.7
Emerging economies¹ 437 598 639 45.6 7.9 6.8 4.9 337 477 514 254 422 435 35.4 7.6 5.7
Europe 486.4 673.3 710.0 50.7 8.6 5.5 4.8 422.8 519.5 570.5 318.9 459.8 483.0 39.3 7.5 4.9
Northern Europe 57.0 78.4 78.9 5.6 6.0 0.5 4.1 60.6 88.6 93.9 46 78 79 6.5 5.7 1.1
Western Europe 154.4 192.7 200.4 14.3 6.1 4.0 3.3 152.4 170.9 187.5 115 151 159 12.9 4.7 3.3
Central/Eastern Europe 98.1 134.6 141.4 10.1 5.6 5.0 4.7 48.3 60.7 68.7 36 54 58 4.7 7.0 8.8
Southern/Medit. Eur. 176.9 267.5 289.4 20.7 12.9 8.2 6.3 161.5 199.3 220.4 122 176 187 15.2 11.2 6.9
- of which EU-28 382.2 539.3 562.9 40.2 7.7 4.4 5.0 354.9 438.6 480.7 268 388 407 33.1 6.8 3.3
Asia and the Pacific 208.2 324.0 347.7 24.8 5.7 7.3 6.6 254.4 396.0 435.5 191.9 350.5 368.7 30.0 4.3 7.4
North-East Asia 111.5 159.5 169.2 12.1 3.4 6.1 5.3 123.0 168.1 188.4 93 149 160 13.0 -1.5 8.9
South-East Asia 70.5 120.5 128.7 9.2 8.8 6.8 7.8 68.5 130.6 142.3 52 116 121 9.8 9.1 4.7
Oceania 11.5 16.6 17.0 1.2 6.1 2.8 5.1 42.8 57.4 61.1 32 51 52 4.2 6.1 6.9
South Asia 14.7 27.5 32.8 2.3 6.2 19.4 10.5 20.1 39.9 43.6 15 35 37 3.0 13.9 10.4
Americas 150.4 210.8 215.7 15.4 4.7 2.3 4.6 215.5 325.8 333.6 162.6 288.4 282.5 23.0 0.9 0.3
North America 99.5 137.1 142.2 10.1 4.3 3.7 4.6 164.8 252.4 258.9 124 223 219 17.8 0.7 0.1
Caribbean 19.5 26.0 25.7 1.8 3.0 -1.4 3.5 23.3 31.8 32.0 18 28 27 2.2 0.5 -1.3
Central America 7.8 11.1 10.8 0.8 4.6 -2.4 4.2 6.9 12.6 12.8 5 11 11 0.9 4.8 1.0
South America 23.6 36.6 37.0 2.6 7.7 1.2 5.8 20.5 29.0 29.9 15 26 25 2.1 1.1 3.4
Africa 50.4 62.7 67.1 4.8 8.5 7.0 3.6 30.4 36.4 38.4 23.0 32.2 32.5 2.6 7.7 1.6
North Africa 19.7 21.7 23.9 1.7 14.7 10.1 2.4 9.7 9.9 10.7 7 9 9 0.7 9.3 3.8
Subsaharan Africa 30.7 41.1 43.3 3.1 5.5 5.4 4.4 20.8 26.5 27.7 16 23 23 1.9 7.1 0.7
Middle East 56.1 57.7 60.5 4.3 4.1 4.7 0.9 52.2 68.4 73.0 39.3 60.5 61.8 5.0 14.6 4.2
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©.						 * Provisional figure			 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
¹ Classification based on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), see the Statistical Annex of the IMF World Economic Outlook of April 2016, page 146, at www.imf.org/external/ns/cs.aspx?id=29.
² In local currencies, at constant prices.
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18
Europe
International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts by country of destination
International tourist arrivals International tourism receipts
Series
(1000) Change (%) Share (%) (USD million) Share (%)
2010 2017 2018* 17/16 18*/17 2018* 2010 2017 2018* 2018*
Europe 486,368 673,265 709,990 8.6 5.5 100 422,801 519,464 570,463 100
Northern Europe 56,992 78,443 78,856 6.0 0.5 11.1 60,612 88,571 93,873 17.8
Denmark TF 8,744 11,743 .. 8.9 .. .. 5,853 7,960 8,420 1.6
Finland TCE 2,319 3,180 3,221 14.0 1.3 0.5 3,051 3,392 3,607 0.6
Iceland TF 489 2,225 2,344 24.1 5.4 0.3 561 3,011 3,129 0.5
Ireland TF 7,134 10,338 .. 2.4 .. .. 4,118 5,617 6,185 1.1
Norway TF/TCE 4,767 6,252 .. 4.9 .. .. 4,707 5,400 5,672 1.0
Sweden TCE 5,183 7,054 .. 4.0 .. .. 8,344 14,142 14,977 2.6
United Kingdom TF 28,296 37,651 36,316 5.1 -3.5 5.1 33,978 49,049 51,882 9.1
Western Europe 154,362 192,725 200,430 6.1 4.0 28.2 152,364 170,918 187,474 32.9
Austria TCE 22,004 29,460 30,816 4.8 4.6 4.3 18,596 20,460 22,979 4.0
Belgium TCE 7,186 8,358 9,154 11.7 9.5 1.3 11,425 12,485 13,474 2.4
France TF 77,648 86,918 89,400 5.1 2.9 12.6 57,059 60,681 67,370 11.8
Germany TCE 26,875 37,452 38,881 5.2 3.8 5.5 34,679 39,823 42,977 7.5
Liechtenstein TCE 64 79 85 14.7 7.1 0.0 .. .. .. ..
Luxembourg TCE 793 1,046 1,018 -0.7 -2.7 0.1 4,149 4,552 4,990 0.9
Monaco THS 279 355 347 5.7 -2.2 0.0 .. .. .. ..
Netherlands TCE 10,883 17,924 19,014 13.2 6.1 2.7 11,732 16,643 18,641 3.3
Switzerland TF 8,628 11,133 11,715 7.0 5.2 1.7 14,724 16,274 17,042 3.0
Central/Eastern Europe 98,132 134,611 141,352 5.6 5.0 19.9 48,312 60,684 68,674 12.0
Armenia TF 687 1,495 1,652 18.7 10.5 0.2 646 1,120 1,208 0.2
Azerbaijan TF 1,280 2,454 2,606 20.0 6.2 0.4 657 3,012 2,634 0.5
Belarus TCE 677 2,000 2,142 3.7 7.1 0.3 440 790 870 0.2
Bulgaria TF 6,047 8,883 9,273 7.6 4.4 1.3 3,407 4,045 4,512 0.8
Czech Republic TF 8,629 13,665 . 6.7 .. .. 7,172 6,933 7,451 1.3
Estonia TF 2,511 3,244 3,234 3.6 -0.3 0.5 1,073 1,630 1,783 0.3
Georgia TF 1,067 4,069 4,757 23.4 16.9 0.7 659 2,704 3,222 0.6
Hungary TF 9,510 15,785 17,152 3.5 8.7 2.4 5,628 6,170 6,930 1.2
Kazakhstan TF 2,991 .. .. .. .. .. 1,005 2,135 2,255 0.4
Kyrgyzstan VF 855 4,568 .. 18.6 .. .. 160 429 433 0.1
Latvia TF 1,373 1,950 1,946 8.7 -0.2 0.3 642 948 1,036 0.2
Lithuania TF 1,507 2,523 2,825 9.9 11.9 0.4 967 1,321 1,423 0.2
Poland TF 12,470 18,400 19,623 5.3 6.6 2.8 9,576 12,772 14,042 2.5
Rep. Moldova TCE 64 145 160 19.6 10.4 0.0 163 319 378 0.1
Romania TCE 1,346 2,760 2,797 11.3 1.3 0.4 1,140 2,527 2,896 0.5
Russian Federation VF 22,281 24,390 24,551 -0.7 0.7 3.5 8,830 8,945 11,802 2.1
Slovakia TF 5,415 .. .. .. .. .. 2,233 2,923 3,200 0.6
Tajikistan VF 160 431 1,250 25.3 190.1 0.2 2 8 9 0.0
Turkmenistan TF .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Ukraine TF 21,203 14,421 14,207 6.0 -1.5 2.0 3,788 1,261 1,445 0.3
Uzbekistan TF .. .. .. .. .. .. 121 689 1,144 0.2
Southern/Medit. Europe 176,881 267,486 289,352 12.9 8.2 40.8 161,514 199,291 220,443 38.6
Albania TF 2,191 4,643 5,340 14.1 15.0 0.8 1,626 1,929 2,193 0.4
Andorra TF 1,808 3,003 3,042 6.1 1.3 0.4 .. .. .. ..
Bosnia & Herzg. TCE 365 922 1,053 18.7 14.1 0.1 594 826 939 0.2
Croatia TCE 8,966 15,593 16,645 13.7 6.7 2.3 8,075 10,924 11,831 2.1
Cyprus TF 2,173 3,652 3,939 14.6 7.8 0.6 2,160 3,128 3,352 0.6
Greece TF 15,007 27,194 30,123 9.7 10.8 4.2 12,742 16,528 19,029 3.3
Israel TF 2,803 3,613 4,121 24.6 14.1 0.6 4,903 6,821 7,241 1.3
Italy TF 43,626 58,253 62,146 11.2 6.7 8.8 38,786 44,233 49,262 8.6
Malta TF 1,339 2,274 2,599 15.7 14.3 0.4 1,079 1,727 1,854 0.3
Montenegro TCE 1,088 1,877 2,077 12.9 10.6 0.3 732 1,041 1,199 0.2
North Macedonia TCE 262 631 707 23.5 12.2 0.1 197 327 382 0.1
Portugal TCE/TF 6,832 21,200 22,800 16.5 7.5 3.2 10,077 17,119 19,621 3.4
San Marino THS 60 78 84 31.1 7.3 0.0 .. .. .. ..
Serbia TCE 683 1,497 1,711 16.8 14.2 0.2 764 1,346 1,346 0.2
Slovenia TCE 2,049 3,991 4,425 17.5 10.9 0.6 2,639 2,851 3,194 0.6
Spain TF 52,677 81,869 82,773 8.7 1.1 11.7 54,641 68,114 73,765 12.9
Turkey TF 31,364 37,601 45,768 24.1 21.7 6.4 22,585 22,478 25,220 4.4
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©						 * Provisional figure			 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
Please see page 23 for symbols and abbreviations
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19
Asia and the Pacific
International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts by country of destination
International tourist arrivals International tourism receipts
Series
(1000) Change (%) Share (%) (USD million) Share (%)
2010 2017 2018* 17/16 18*/17 2018* 2010 2017 2018* 2018*
Asia and the Pacific 208,174 324,041 347,731 5.7 7.3 100 254,367 395,996 435,460 100
North-East Asia 111,508 159,515 169,190 3.4 6.1 48.7 122,964 168,130 188,429 43.3
China TF 55,665 60,740 62,900 2.5 3.6 18.1 45,814 38,559 40,386 9.3
Hong Kong (China) TF 20,085 27,885 29,263 5.0 4.9 8.4 22,200 33,339 36,703 8.4
Japan VF 8,611 28,691 31,192 19.4 8.7 9.0 13,199 34,054 41,115 9.4
Korea (DPRK) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Korea (ROK) VF 8,798 13,336 15,347 -22.7 15.1 4.4 10,328 13,368 15,319 3.5
Macao (China) TF 11,926 17,255 18,493 9.9 7.2 5.3 22,276 35,575 40,187 9.2
Mongolia TF 456 469 529 16.1 12.8 0.2 244 396 461 0.1
Taiwan (pr. of China) VF 5,567 10,740 11,067 0.5 3.0 3.2 8,721 12,315 13,704 3.1
South-East Asia 70,473 120,466 128,680 8.8 6.8 37.0 68,547 130,632 142,314 32.7
Brunei TF 214 259 278 18.3 7.4 0.1 .. 177 190 0.0
Cambodia TF 2,508 5,602 6,201 11.8 10.7 1.8 1,519 3,636 4,352 1.0
Indonesia VF/TF 7,003 12,948 13,396 16.9 3.5 3.9 6,958 13,139 14,110 3.2
Laos TF 1,670 3,257 3,770 -1.8 15.8 1.1 382 761 734 0.2
Malaysia TF 24,577 25,948 25,832 -3.0 -0.4 7.4 18,115 18,323 19,143 4.4
Myanmar TF 792 3,443 3,551 18.4 3.1 1.0 72 1,969 .. ..
Philippines TF 3,520 6,621 7,129 11.0 7.7 2.1 2,645 6,988 7,461 1.7
Singapore TF 9,161 13,909 14,673 7.7 5.5 4.2 14,178 19,738 20,528 4.7
Thailand TF 15,936 35,483 38,277 9.1 7.9 11.0 20,104 56,938 63,042 14.5
Timor-Leste TF 40 74 75 12.5 1.1 0.0 31 73 .. ..
Vietnam VF 5,050 12,922 15,498 29.1 19.9 4.5 4,450 8,890 10,080 2.3
Oceania 11,468 16,580 17,044 6.1 2.8 4.9 42,794 57,375 61,097 14.0
American Samoa TF 23 20 .. -0.3 .. .. .. 22 .. ..
Australia VF 5,872 8,815 9,246 6.6 4.9 2.7 32,584 41,732 45,035 10.3
Cook Islands TF 104 161 169 10.2 4.6 0.0 111 153 .. ..
Fiji TF 632 843 870 6.4 3.3 0.3 634 926 956 0.2
French Polynesia TF 154 199 216 3.4 8.7 0.1 406 .. .. ..
Guam TF 1,197 1,544 1,552 0.6 0.5 0.4 .. .. .. ..
Kiribati TF 5 6 .. 1.1 .. .. 4 4 .. ..
Marshall Islands TF 5 6 .. -39.0 .. .. 4 .. .. ..
Micronesia FSM TF 45 .. .. .. .. .. 24 .. .. ..
N.Mariana Islands VF 379 660 518 24.3 -21.5 0.1 .. .. .. ..
New Caledonia TF 99 121 120 4.3 -0.3 0.0 129 .. .. ..
New Zealand TF 2,435 3,555 3,686 5.5 3.7 1.1 6,522 10,593 11,004 2.5
Niue TF 6 10 .. 25.4 .. .. 2 .. .. ..
Palau TF 85 123 116 -11.5 -5.4 0.0 73 116 .. ..
Papua New Guinea TF 140 143 .. -8.2 .. .. 2 2 .. ..
Samoa TF 122 146 164 8.8 12.4 0.0 132 166 .. ..
Solomon Islands TF 21 26 28 18.5 8.4 0.0 44 67 81 0.0
Tonga TF 47 62 .. 1.6 .. .. 16 48 48 0.0
Tuvalu TF 2 2 .. 0.0 .. .. 2 .. .. ..
Vanuatu TF 97 109 116 14.8 5.9 0.0 217 .. .. ..
South Asia 14,726 27,480 32,817 6.2 19.4 9.4 20,063 39,858 43,620 10.0
Afghanistan .. .. .. .. .. .. 75 2 .. ..
Bangladesh TF 303 1,026 .. 23.6 .. .. 81 337 353 0.1
Bhutan TF 41 255 274 21.5 7.6 0.1 40 103 102 0.0
India TF 5,776 15,543 17,427 6.7 12.1 5.0 14,490 27,365 28,568 6.6
Iran VF 2,938 4,867 7,295 -1.5 49.9 2.1 2,438 4,402 .. ..
Maldives TF 792 1,390 1,484 8.0 6.8 0.4 1,713 2,744 3,028 0.7
Nepal TF 603 940 1,173 24.9 24.8 0.3 344 630 .. ..
Pakistan TF 907 .. .. .. .. .. 306 352 390 0.1
Sri Lanka TF 654 2,116 2,334 3.2 10.3 0.7 576 3,925 4,381 1.0
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©						 * Provisional figure			 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
Please see page 23 for symbols and abbreviations
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20
Americas
International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts by country of destination
International tourist arrivals International tourism receipts
Series
(1000) Change (%) Share (%) (USD million) Share (%)
2010 2017 2018* 17/16 18*/17 2018* 2010 2017 2018* 2018*
Americas 150,432 210,810 215,684 4.7 2.3 100 215,538 325,848 333,594 100
North America 99,520 137,115 142,198 4.3 3.7 65.9 164,832 252,409 258,913 77.6
Canada TF 16,219 20,883 21,134 4.6 1.2 9.8 15,830 20,325 21,936 6.6
Mexico TF 23,290 39,291 41,447 12.0 5.5 19.2 11,992 21,336 22,510 6.7
United States TF 60,010 76,941 79,618 0.7 3.5 36.9 137,010 210,747 214,468 64.3
Caribbean 19,521 26,046 25,678 3.0 -1.4 11.9 23,254 31,802 31,975 9.6
Anguilla TF 62 68 55 -13.9 -20.1 0.0 99 131 .. ..
Antigua & Barbuda TF 230 247 269 -6.7 8.7 0.1 298 557 .. ..
Aruba TF 825 1,071 .. -2.9 .. .. 1,251 1,855 2,024 0.6
Bahamas TF 1,370 1,439 1,627 -4.0 13.1 0.8 2,163 2,996 3,355 1.0
Barbados TF 532 664 680 5.0 2.5 0.3 1,038 1,081 1,125 0.3
Bermuda TF 232 270 282 10.3 4.6 0.1 442 508 .. ..
Brit. Virgin Islands TF 330 335 192 -17.9 -42.5 0.1 389 .. .. ..
Cayman Islands TF 288 418 463 8.5 10.7 0.2 465 .. .. ..
Cuba TF 2,507 4,594 4,684 15.6 2.0 2.2 2,187 3,186 2,903 0.9
Curaçao TF 342 399 432 -9.6 8.2 0.2 385 551 493 0.1
Dominica TF 77 71 63 -9.0 -11.9 0.0 94 121 .. ..
Dominican Rep. TF 4,125 6,188 6,569 3.8 6.2 3.0 4,162 7,184 7,561 2.3
Grenada TF 110 146 161 8.2 10.0 0.1 105 144 .. ..
Guadeloupe TCE 392 650 .. 12.1 .. .. 510 .. .. ..
Haiti TF 255 467 .. 5.0 .. .. 383 459 .. ..
Jamaica TF 1,922 2,353 2,473 7.8 5.1 1.1 2,001 2,809 3,099 0.9
Martinique TF 476 536 537 3.1 0.3 0.2 472 510 530 0.2
Montserrat TF 6 9 9 -0.2 0.1 0.0 6 8 .. ..
Puerto Rico TF 3,186 3,797 3,068 1.6 -19.2 1.4 3,211 3,848 3,282 1.0
Saint Lucia TF 306 386 396 11.0 2.5 0.2 565 754 .. ..
St. Kitts & Nevis TF 98 115 116 -0.4 1.3 0.1 90 157 .. ..
St. Maarten TF 443 402 178 -23.8 -55.8 0.1 674 630 453 0.1
St. Vincent & Gren. TF 72 76 80 -4.3 5.4 0.0 86 95 .. ..
Trinidad & Tobago TF 388 395 375 -3.5 -4.9 0.2 450 453 .. ..
Turks & Caicos TF 281 416 .. -8.2 .. .. .. 571 787 0.2
US Virgin Islands TF 572 535 381 -19.8 -28.8 0.2 1,223 1,202 1,046 0.3
Central America 7,808 11,084 10,814 4.6 -2.4 5.0 6,947 12,604 12,840 3.8
Belize TF 242 427 489 10.8 14.6 0.2 249 427 487 0.1
Costa Rica TF 2,100 2,960 3,017 1.2 1.9 1.4 2,246 3,724 3,903 1.2
El Salvador TF 1,150 1,556 1,677 8.5 7.8 0.8 390 873 1,014 0.3
Guatemala TF 1,119 1,660 1,781 4.7 7.3 0.8 1,378 1,566 1,549 0.5
Honduras TF 863 851 865 1.6 1.6 0.4 625 715 736 0.2
Nicaragua TF 1,011 1,787 .. 18.8 .. .. 314 841 544 0.2
Panama TF 1,324 1,843 1,779 -4.1 -3.5 0.8 1,745 4,460 4,608 1.4
South America 23,583 36,565 36,994 7.7 1.2 17.2 20,505 29,034 29,865 9.0
Argentina TF 5,325 6,710 6,942 0.8 3.4 3.2 4,942 5,375 5,558 1.7
Bolivia TF 679 1,134 .. 18.3 .. .. 379 782 823 0.2
Brazil TF 5,161 6,589 6,621 0.6 0.5 3.1 5,261 5,809 5,917 1.8
Chile TF 2,801 6,450 5,723 14.3 -11.3 2.7 1,552 3,383 2,956 0.9
Colombia TF 2,385 3,631 3,898 9.5 7.4 1.8 2,797 4,921 5,556 1.7
Ecuador VF 1,047 1,608 2,429 13.4 51.0 1.1 781 1,548 1,871 0.6
French Guiana TF 189 224 .. 0.4 .. .. .. .. .. ..
Guyana TF 152 247 287 5.1 15.9 0.1 80 .. .. ..
Paraguay TF 465 1,560 1,181 19.2 -24.3 0.5 217 369 363 0.1
Peru TF 2,299 4,032 4,419 7.7 9.6 2.0 2,008 3,710 3,947 1.2
Suriname TF 205 278 .. 8.2 .. .. 61 46 56 0.0
Uruguay TF 2,349 3,674 3,469 21.0 -5.6 1.6 1,509 2,558 2,344 0.7
Venezuela TF 526 427 .. -29.0 .. .. 831 .. .. ..
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©						 * Provisional figure			 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
Please see page 23 for symbols and abbreviations
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21
Africa
International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts by country of destination
International tourist arrivals International tourism receipts
Series
(1000) Change (%) Share (%) (USD million) Share (%)
2010 2017 2018* 17/16 18*/17 2018* 2010 2017 2018* 2018*
Africa 50,426 62,727 67,118 8.5 7.0 100 30,447 36,400 38,395 100
North Africa 19,682 21,665 23,858 14.7 10.1 35.5 9,662 9,916 10,674 27.8
Algeria VF 2,070 2,451 .. 20.2 .. .. 220 141 .. ..
Morocco TF 9,288 11,349 12,289 9.8 8.3 18.3 6,703 7,442 7,775 20.2
Sudan TF 495 813 .. 1.6 .. .. 94 1,029 1,043 2.7
Tunisia TF 7,828 7,052 8,299 23.2 17.7 12.4 2,645 1,305 1,713 4.5
Subsaharan Africa 30,743 41,061 43,260 5.5 5.4 64.5 20,785 26,483 27,721 72.2
Angola TF 425 261 .. -34.3 .. .. 719 880 544 1.4
Benin TF 199 281 295 5.2 5.0 0.4 149 150 .. ..
Botswana TF 1,973 1,623 .. 3.1 .. .. 510 704 574 1.5
Burkina Faso THS 274 143 144 -5.9 0.7 0.2 72 117 .. ..
Burundi TF 142 299 .. 59.9 .. .. 2 3 .. ..
Cameroon TF 569 .. .. .. .. .. 159 524 .. ..
Cabo Verde THS 336 668 710 11.6 6.3 1.1 278 431 466 1.2
Centr. African Rep. TF 54 .. .. .. .. .. 11 .. .. ..
Chad THS 71 87 .. -11.2 .. .. .. .. .. ..
Comoros TF 15 28 36 4.5 28.2 0.1 35 .. .. ..
Congo THS 194 192 .. -9.0 .. .. 27 .. .. ..
Côte d'Ivoire VF 252 1,800 1,965 13.7 9.2 2.9 201 396 .. ..
Dem. Rep. Congo TF 81 .. .. .. .. .. 11 6.0 60.5 0.2
Djibouti TF 51 .. .. .. .. .. 18 35 .. ..
Equatorial Guinea .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Eritrea VF 84 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Eswatini TF 868 921 782 -2.7 -15.1 1.2 51 13 .. ..
Ethiopia TF 468 933 .. 7.1 .. .. 522 435 .. ..
Gabon TF .. .. .. .. .. .. 86 .. .. ..
Gambia TF 91 162 .. 0.6 .. .. 74 103 .. ..
Ghana TF 931 972 .. .. .. .. 620 850 .. ..
Guinea TF 12 .. .. .. .. .. 2 16 .. ..
Guinea-Bissau TF 22 .. .. .. .. .. 13 16 .. ..
Kenya TF 1,470 1,390 1,475 9.6 6.1 2.2 800 919 .. ..
Lesotho TF 414 .. .. .. .. .. 23 23 23 0.1
Liberia .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 .. .. ..
Madagascar TF 196 255 257 -12.9 0.6 0.4 309 671 .. ..
Malawi TF 746 837 .. -1.4 .. .. 31 31 .. ..
Mali TF 169 193 203 11.6 5.2 0.3 205 206 .. ..
Mauritania TF .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 .. ..
Mauritius TF 935 1,342 1,399 5.2 4.3 2.1 1,282 1,748 1,887 4.9
Mozambique TF 1,718 1,447 .. -11.7 .. .. 108 151 242 0.6
Namibia TF 984 1,499 .. 2.0 .. .. 438 188 380 1.0
Niger TF 74 164 157 7.7 -4.3 0.2 105 83 .. ..
Nigeria TF 1,555 .. .. .. .. .. 576 2,549 1,962 5.1
Reunion TF 421 508 535 10.8 5.3 0.8 392 427 495 1.3
Rwanda TF 504 .. .. .. .. .. 202 438 .. ..
São Tomé & Príncipe TF 8 .. .. .. .. .. 11 66 72 0.2
Senegal TF 900 1,365 .. 12.8 .. .. 453 419 .. ..
Seychelles TF 175 350 362 15.4 3.4 0.5 343 483 564 1.5
Sierra Leone TF 39 51 57 -5.1 11.8 0.1 26 83 .. ..
Somalia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
South Africa TF 8,074 10,285 10,472 2.4 1.8 15.6 9,070 8,818 8,939 23.3
Tanzania TF 754 1,275 .. 3.4 .. .. 1,255 2,250 2,449 6.4
Togo THS 202 514 573 52.1 11.5 0.9 66 138 .. ..
Uganda TF 946 1,402 1,850 6.0 31.9 2.8 784 937 1,027 2.7
Zambia TF 815 1,083 .. 13.2 .. .. 492 653 742 1.9
Zimbabwe VF 2,239 2,423 2,567 11.8 5.9 3.8 124 149 .. ..
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©						 * Provisional figure			 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
Please see page 23 for symbols and abbreviations
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2222
Middle East
International tourist arrivals and tourism receipts by country of destination
International Tourist Arrivals International Tourism Receipts
Series
(1000) Change (%) Share (%) (USD million) Share (%)
2010 2017 2018* 17/16 18*/17 2018* 2010 2017 2018* 2018*
Middle East 56,122 57,743 60,458 4.1 4.7 100 52,150 68,359 73,039 100
Bahrain THS/TCE 995 4,372 .. 9.6 .. .. 1,362 3,642 .. ..
Egypt VF 14,731 8,292 11,346 53.6 36.8 18.8 12,528 7,775 11,615 15.9
Iraq VF 1,518 .. .. .. .. .. 1,660 2,959 1,986 2.7
Jordan TF 4,207 3,844 4,150 7.7 8.0 6.9 3,585 4,639 5,249 7.2
Kuwait THS 207 .. .. .. .. .. 290 313 395 0.5
Lebanon TF 2,168 1,857 1,964 10.0 5.8 3.2 7,995 7,611 8,400 11.5
Libya TF .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 .. .. ..
Oman TF 1,441 2,372 .. 1.6 .. .. 780 1,748 .. ..
Palestine THS 522 503 606 25.7 20.5 1.0 667 225 245 0.4
Qatar TF 1,700 2,256 1,819 -23.2 -19.4 3.0 584 5,971 5,565 7.6
Saudi Arabia TF 10,850 16,109 15,293 -10.7 -5.1 25.3 6,712 12,056 12,038 16.5
Syria TF 8,546 .. .. .. .. .. 6,190 .. .. ..
Utd Arab Emirates THS1
7,432 15,790 15,920 6.2 0.8 26.3 8,577 21,048 21,375 29.3
Yemen TF 1,025 .. .. .. .. .. 1,161 .. .. ..
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©						 * Provisional figure			 (Data as collected by UNWTO, July 2019)
¹ Dubai only.
Please see page 23 for symbols and abbreviations
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Methodological notes
23
Series of international tourist arrivals:
TF	 =	 International tourist arrivals at frontiers (overnight visitors, i.e. excluding same-day visitors)
VF	 =	 International visitors arrivals at frontiers (tourists and same-day visitors)
THS	 =	 International tourists arrivals at hotel and similar establishments
TCE 	= 	International tourists arrivals at collective tourism establishments
TD 	 =	 Departures of tourists (overnight visitors, i.e. excluding same-day visitors)
VD 	 =	 Departures of both overnight and same-day visitors
Information in this report reflects data available at the time of publication, as reported by
national or international institutions up until July 2019.
It should be noted that data as reflected by UNWTO on international tourism receipts
and expenditure for China is based on the balance of payments (BOP) travel credit and
debit (as with other countries for reasons of consistency and international comparability)
reported by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) at www.safe.gov.cn/en/
BalanceofPayments/. It is to be noted that there is a difference in the data used by UNWTO
and those produced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (formerly the China National
Tourism Administration) for 2014 and subsequent years.
For the latest tourism data and trends, please refer to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer
at mkt.unwto.org/barometer. For tourism statistics online and for data on previous years,
see the UNWTO e-library at www.e-unwto.org.
For main concepts, definitions and classifications for the measurement of tourism, please
see: International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (IRTS 2008) at statistics.
unwto.org/content/irts-2008.
*	 = 	 Provisional figure or data
..	 = 	 Figure or data not (yet) available
I	 = 	 Change of series
n/a	 =	 Not applicable
.	 = 	 Decimal separator
,	 = 	 Thousands separator
This report was prepared by the UNWTO Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness
Department, under the supervision of Sandra Carvão, Chief of the Department.
Contributors include (in alphabetical order): Fernando Alonso, Julia Baunemann, Michel
Julian, Lili Kfoury and Javier Ruescas.
The designations and presentation material employed in this report do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or
of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284421152-Monday,February01,20212:46:47AM-IPAddress:193.84.223.73
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a United
Nations specialized agency, is the leading international
organization with the decisive and central role in promoting
the development of responsible, sustainable and universally
accessible tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism
policy issues and a practical source of tourism knowhow.
Its membership includes 158 countries, 6 territories,
2 permanent observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.
Copyright © 2019, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Copyright cover photo: © Renaud Philippe | Dreamstime.com
ISBN printed version: 978-92-844-2114-5
ISBN electronic version: 978-92-844-2115-2
DOI: 10.18111/9789284421152
Published by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Madrid, Spain.
First printing: 2019 | All rights reserved | Printed in Spain
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do
not imply the expression of any opinions whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat
of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) concerning the legal status of any
country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of
its frontiers or boundaries.
Citation:
World Tourism Organization (2019), International Tourism Highlights, 2019 Edition,
UNWTO, Madrid, DOI: https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284421152.
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)   www.unwto.org
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284421152-Monday,February01,20212:46:47AM-IPAddress:193.84.223.73