UNWTO optimistic of 5% growth in 2016

UNWTO Secretary General Dr.Taleb Rifai addressing the media. Others from left: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Director General Malraj Kiriella, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and SLTDA Chairman Paddy Withana, Tourism Development, Land and Christial Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga and Petra National Foundation Chair Princess Dana Firas

By Charumini de Silva

Despite a string of violent incidents against tourists in Turkey, Bangladesh, France, Belgium and Egypt, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) said they expect tourism to grow globally by 5% this year.

UNWTO Secretary General Dr.Taleb Rifai said the fact that there were terrorist attacks in some countries would not affect overall global tourism.

Noting that there were 50 million new international visitors in 2015 over 2014, he said that their indications say it would grow at 4.5% to 5% in 2016.

He said considering the number of new international visitors during the first half of this year, achieving this modest target would be feasible.

“People are going to continue travelling to places as it has become a part of a way of their lives,” he said.

While admitting that attacks may affect a particular destination in the short term he said it would bounce back in the medium to long term if one of the strong destinations where tourism is established, and assured that there is definitely no impact to the overall growth in the industry.  

He  described Thursday’s outrage as a ‘global disease’ and said there was no place on earth that was immune from attack.

Noting that tourism is one of the most resilient industries in the world Dr.Rifai said: “Terrorism is something that we need to keep vigilant about. It is not the time to shun people. We cannot punish the victims and reward the aggressors by not travelling to places affected, because that is exactly what these terrorists want us to do.”

Pic by Gitika Talukdar

UNWTO upset over Brexit

​A top official of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) expressed that they were disappointed over the decision of Great Britain to exit from the European Union (EU) and asserted that they hope it would not continue to be a trend.

“We have been looking at EU as one of the best examples of regional cooperation that mankind has ever had throughout the history. We are saddened to see cracks happening in the EU,” UNWTO Secretary General Dr.Taleb Rifai told the journalists in Colombo last Friday.

He said that even at the UNWTO they have been advocating the importance of nations coming together pointing the EU as one of the best role models for other countries in the world for regional cooperation.

“We hope this will not be a trend which will continue, not just from tourism point of view, but also from whole economic perspective,” he explained.

However, Dr.Rifai also pointed out that it was too early to make any prediction on the Brexit as it has not been materialised yet.

The Secretary General asserted that they do not see any kind of impact to travel and tourism from the Brexit.