Demand for international tourism remained strong in the first four months of 2014, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5 percent, and prospects for the current peak tourism season remain very positive.

Destinations worldwide received some 317 million international tourists between January and April-14 million more than in the same period in 2013. This growth consolidates the already strong increase registered in 2013 and is well above the long-term trend projected by UNWTO for the period 2010–2020.
Growth has been widely spread with nearly all subregions recording increases in international arrivals of 4 percent or higher. By region, the strongest growth was registered in Asia and the Pacific and the Americas, followed closely by Europe and Africa. By subregion, arrivals in Northern Europe, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and South Asia all increased by 8 percent.
“The encouraging start to 2014 and the overall positive sentiment in the sector raise high expectations for the current peak tourism season, benefiting destinations from both advanced and emerging economies,” says UNWTO’s secretary general, Taleb Rifai. “The 5 percent growth in the number of international tourists crossing borders in the first months of 2014 further reflects the impact of the increase in public support to the sector as well as the immense capacity of tourism companies to adapt to changing markets.”
Various indicators point to a strong summer peak season for the Northern Hemisphere. More than 460 million tourists are expected to travel abroad during the four months from May to August, which account on average for 41 percent of all international tourist arrivals registered in one year.
Data on international air travel reservations from business intelligence tool ForwardKeys support this outlook with bookings for May through August up by 8 percent compared to the same period last year, with intraregional and interregional travel equally strong.
