Jordan Times
Thursday, November 4, 2004
Tourism shows signs of
recovery in Middle East — report
The Kingdom received an 18 per cent increase in visitors from the Arab
and Gulf market up
to the end of July, compared to the same period last year
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — Global tourism appears to be making a strong comeback in 2004 with the
Middle East showing promising signs of recovery, according to a recent report by
the World Tourism Organisation (WTO).
The WTO barometer report showed a surge in worldwide travel up to the end of
October with significant increases in international arrivals across all
continents.
The strongest performance was registered in Asia and the Pacific, particularly
northeast and southeast Asia, where arrivals increased by 37 per cent and 45 per
cent respectively in the first eight months of this year.
Tourism to the Middle East also showed improvements compared to last year,
according to the WTO.
Most activity, however, is based on intra-regional travel. According to the
report, Jordan received an 18 per cent increase in visitors from the Arab and
Gulf market up to the end of July, compared to the same period last year.
Lebanon also witnessed an increase of 42 per cent in Arab arrivals, while Dubai
registered a 9 per cent increase and Bahrain around 19 per cent.
While the Kingdom has continued to bank on Arab and Gulf tourists, who have
helped recuperate losses in earnings from foreign arrivals post-Sept. 11,
international arrivals appear to be on the increase.
Reduced travel fears and bilateral agreements with a host of countries and tour
operators have helped the Kingdom attract a steady flow of tourist traffic from
the United Kingdom and Hungary.
The number of British tourists to visit the Kingdom in the first eight months of
this year stands at 34,557 compared to 18,520 last year, according to Ministry
of Tourism (MoT) statistics.
This years' figure includes advanced bookings by British tourists with Golden
Holiday Tours, an adventure tour operator, which will bring in 150 tourists each
week aboard 25 chartered flights over the next six months.
Some 20,525 Hungarian tourists also visited the Kingdom during the first nine
months of this year, according to MoT figures.
Arrivals from East Asia and the Pacific in the first seven months of this year
also increased. A total of 64,402 tourists visited the Kingdom compared to
41,597 during the same period last year.
The WTO reported earlier that international tourist arrivals grew by 12 per cent
between January and August, compared to the same period in 2003.
International arrivals in Europe grew by 6 per cent along with increases of 8
per cent in all subregions of Latin America.
Passenger travel also rose by 17.7 per cent during the first nine months of this
year compared to the same period in 2003, according to the Geneva-based
International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA Chief Giovanni Bisignani said last week that passenger traffic was
recovering from 2003, which he described as an “exceptionally bad year.”
Middle Eastern carriers posted the fasted growth, at 29.1 per cent, followed by
Asia with 25.3 per cent.
Passenger traffic on North American airlines rose by 16.6 per cent, while the
European figure was 11.3 per cent.
The WTO barometer, published three times a year, January, June, and October,
provides a short-term overview and evaluation of tourism activity around the
world.