MADRID— Compared to the preliminary estimates issued last January, updated information from the World Tourism Organization (WTO) demonstrates that world tourism only experimented a small reduction in 2001. According to recent information, world tourism arrivals declined only 0.6%. Worldwide there have been 693 million international tourist arrivals in 2001 corresponding to a decrease of 0.6%, or 4 million down from the 697 million of 2000. This is the first time since 1982 that the worldwide number of international tourist arrivals decreased. Tourism growth already decelerated before 9/11 because of the deterioration in economic conditions affecting major North American, European and Asian economies at the same time, with worldwide economic growth dropping to 2.5% in 2001, down from 4.7% in 2000. The most affected markets were South Asia (down 24% in the period September-December 2001), Americas (-20%) and Middle East (-11%). For the whole year Americas and South Asia dropped by 6%, and the Middle East by 3%. East Asia and the Pacific (up 5%) and Africa (up 4%) still finished the year with an increase. Europe recorded a small decrease of 0.6%.
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