Tourism is a $1.34 trillion industry

No one could have put it more aptly than the American writer and humourist, Mark Twain, who in 1866 began his long and worldwide journeys, initially to Hawaii and then around the globe. He circumnavigated the earth, travelling across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, crisscrossed India, hiked up the Alps and travelled across Europe. "I am wild with impatience to move, move, move!" he wrote to his mother in 1867. "My mind gives me peace only in excitement and restless moving from place to place. I wish I never had to stop anywhere."
Twain died in 1910, but more than a century later, tourism is one of the most robust businesses around the globe. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), there were 1.32 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2017, a 6.8 per cent jump over the previous year's figures. And international tourism receipts amounted to $1.34 trillion in 2017, a 4.9 per cent increase over the 2016 receipts.
Globally, the most popular tourist destination was France, which attracted nearly 87 million tourists in 2017. It was followed by Spain and the US (75 million to 80 million tourists each), China and Italy (about 60 million each), and Mexico, UK, Turkey, Germany and Thailand (each attracting between 35 million and 40 million foreign tourists).
In the Middle East, the UAE was the third popular destination in the region, attracting about 15 million tourists in 2016. Turkey (also clubbed in the Middle East) received 30 million visitors and Saudi Arabia about 18 million in 2016. According to UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, international travel continues to grow strongly, consolidating the tourism sector as a key driver in economic development. As the third export sector in the world, tourism is essential for job creation and the prosperity of communities around the world, he said recently.
"Yet as we continue to grow we must work closer together to ensure this growth benefits every member of every host community, and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals," said Pololikashvili.
The UNWTO expects international tourist arrivals worldwide to grow at between 4 per cent and 5 per cent in 2018, a little above the 3.8 per cent average projected for 2010-20 by the body.
While Europe and the Americas are expected to grow by between 3.5 per and 4.5 per cent, respectively, the Middle East is likely to grow by 4 per cent to 6 per cent and Asia and the Pacific by 5 per cent and 6 per cent.
Though the US ranked third in terms of the number of foreign tourists, it was the largest recipient of tourism receipts, earning more than $210 billion in 2018. Spain and France earned $68 billion and $60 billion, respectively. In the Middle East, the UAE was ranked next to Turkey, earning more than $21 billion through tourism in 2017.
Interestingly, the just-released Mastercard's Global Destination Cities Index has ranked Dubai fourth among the global top 10 destination cities in the world, coming right behind Bangkok, London and Paris. Dubai had 15.79 million international overnight visitors in 2017 and the index has predicted a growth of 5.5 per cent in 2018. The average length of stay of the visitors in Dubai is 3.5 nights.
But their average spend per day is a whopping $537, and Dubai continues to be the top ranking destination city based on overnight visitor spend. The Mastercard index analysed 162 global cities this year. "International travel is crucial to many urban economies, enriching the lives of both residents and tourists," said Miguel Gamiño Jr., Executive Vice-President, global cities for Mastercard. "The bar is rising for cities to innovate to provide both a memorable and authentic experience."
The rapid growth of tourism in many parts of the globe has also raised concerns about 'overtourism' and its impact. Recently, the UNWTO unveiled a report - 'Overtourism' - Understanding and managing urban tourism growth beyond perceptions' - in Seoul at the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism. Besides examining how to manage tourism in cities for the benefit of both visitors and residents, it also proposed measures to manage tourism growth.
The tourism industry has to ensure sustainable policies and practices that minimise adverse effects on the use of natural resources, infrastructure, mobility and congestion, as well as its socio-cultural impact, said the report.
And increased reports of negative attitudes among locals towards tourists, due to perceived overcrowding, noise and other issues, have led to the spread of terms such as 'overtourism' and 'tourismphobia' in the media. "Governance is the key," remarked Pololikashvili. "Addressing the challenges facing urban tourism today is a much more complex issue than is commonly recognised. We need to set a sustainable roadmap for urban tourism and place tourism in the wider urban agenda. We must also ensure local communities see and benefit from the positive aspects of tourism."
Various initiatives have been launched in the UAE to boost travel and tourism and also ensure sustainable growth of the sector. The Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, for instance, is working towards sustainable tourism development of the emirate. It involves preparing the annual sustainability report, launching and implementing 'green' tourism and hotel initiatives and hosting environment-related exhibitions and conferences.
The Dubai Tourism Strategy 2020 is a strategic road map with the key objective of attracting 20 million visitors per year by 2020. It focuses on making Dubai the 'first choice' for international leisure and business travellers. It involves broadening Dubai's offerings in events, attractions, infrastructure, services and packages and appealing to a wider audience.
The Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 aims to attract more than 10 million tourists by 2021, when the UAE celebrates its 50th year of founding. The mission of the Ajman Strategic Plan for Tourism 2015-2021 is the development and sustainability of its tourism sector in order to become the destination of choice for all types of tourists through effective strategic partnerships and continuous innovation.

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