International tourist arrivals grew by six percent in the first four months of 2018, compared to the same period last year, not only continuing the strong 2017 trend, but exceeding UNWTO’s forecast for 2018.

“International tourism continues to show significant growth worldwide, and this translates into job creation in many economies. This growth reminds us of the need to increase our capacity to develop and manage tourism in a sustainable way, building smart destinations and making the most of technology and innovation”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili.

Growth was led by Asia and the Pacific (+8 percent) and Europe (+7 percent). Africa (+6 percent), the Middle East (+4 percent) and the Americas (+3 percent) also recorded sound results. Earlier this year, UNWTO’s forecast for 2018 was between four to five percent.

The information coming from Africa and the Middle East confirms the rebound of Middle East destinations and the consolidation of the growth in Africa.

Confidence in global tourism remains strong according to the latest UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts survey. The Panel’s outlook for the May-August period is one the most optimistic in a decade, led by the particularly upbeat sentiment in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Experts’ evaluation of tourism performance in the first four months of 2018 was also robust, in line with the strong results recorded in many destinations around the world.