Tourism: record figures concerned, paradoxically, the sector

Andrey Armyagov – Fotolia

AFP

Wednesday, march 7, 2018 04:08

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Wednesday, march 7, 2018 04:08

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The international tourism has never been so well supported since 2010, welcomed the professionals of the sector gathered in Berlin until the 11th of march, while expressing concern over the hostility aroused by the “surtourisme”.

According to the world tourism Organization (UNWTO), dependent of the united Nations, international tourist arrivals have surged in 2017 7% in 2017 to reach a total of 1,322 billion, compared to an increase located annually around 4 % since 2010.

“The travellers have regained confidence and have been more abroad than before, despite the threat of terrorism and natural disasters,” explains for his part, Rolf Freitag, director of the firm IPK international, which publishes before each international Tourism fair of Berlin (ITB) a study on the tourism figures in the world.

Mediterranean Destinations in mind, Europe has continued to attract travellers. Among the stays preferred on weekends in the city, and vacations to the sea, while the distant trips are in decline, according to the study of the IPK.

But the continued rise in mass tourism has also become the major concern for the sector in 2017, after several manifestations of ras-le-bol ” in european cities or the crisis of overcapacity in Venice, Dubrovnik and Barcelona and even Thailand.

“The so-called +surtourisme+ has become a major problem this year, not only in the big cities the most popular, but also for different kind of holiday, like skiing and cruises,” explains the IPK.

“The industry needs to find solutions quickly”, argue experts from the IPK, so that a crisis meeting between various representatives of the cities and States will be held Wednesday on the occasion of the ITB.

Approximately 10 000 exhibitors took up their quarters at the Berlin exhibition grounds. Almost all States are represented with stands in the colors of 180 countries, despite a few absentees, such as north Korea or the Vatican.