The new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer provisional data on international tourist arrivals gives an upbeat insight into global tourism performance for the first eight months of 2007. And it points to a continuation of the sustained growth rate experienced over the past years.
From January to August 2007, destinations worldwide received an estimated 610 million international tourist arrivals, an increase of 5.6 percent year-on-year.
The Northern Hemisphere high season months of July and August were “remarkably strong“ said UNWTO (World Tourism Organization), especially given the fact that capacity was already tight in this period, said Bi-me.com.
For the first time ever, both July and August topped over 100 million arrivals each, a rise of over 5 percent in both months.
The full year forecasts now suggest that this trend is likely to continue through the remainder of 2007, with year-end growth estimated at 5.7 percent.
This suggests that 2007 will close with over 880 million arrivals and might even approach 900 million, the UNWTO said. For 2008, only a very slight softening is expected, with growth of around 5 percent, therefore sustaining an above-average growth rate.

Above Average
With an estimated increase in the range of 5 percent to 6 percent, 2007 is set to be the fourth year of tourism growth above the world’s long-term average of 4.1 percent a year.
Growth has been very much driven by emerging destinations in Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, while the more mature regions of Europe and the Americas are showing a more moderate pace, though still well above their respective long-term averages.
Asia Pacific is expected to end this year 10 percent up and similarly the Middle East will post high growth of 7 percent, despite
what UNWTO calls “continued turbulence“
in the region.

Global Economic Effect
One of the main contributors to 2007’s continued strength in international tourism has been the strong global economy, with world GDP in 2007 heading for a 5.2 percent increase, the fourth year in a row with GDP growth at around 5 percent.
The impact of the recent turbulence in financial markets is not reflected in tourism performance, UNWTO noted.

Tourism Demand Softening in 2008
International tourism demand will soften in 2008 but will still be above the long-term trend, UNWTO said, in a typically conservative set of forecasts.
The increase in international tourist arrivals is projected to be around half a percentage point lower than in 2007, thus around 5.0 percent, but still above UNWTO’s long-term annual forecast growth of 4.1 percent through 2020.

A view of Soltanieh Dome which was built as an artistic masterpiece 700 years ago in an area of 156 hectares in IranÕs western Zanjan province. Soltanieh is the worldÕs biggest Dome.

Iran has disclosed it plans to cooperate with Cambodia in tourism. Tourism Minister Thong Khon unveiled the plan following a recent official meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Cambodia Seyed Javad Qavam Shahidi, wrote Xinhua.
“We both should organize promotional programs to make good cooperation between Cambodia and Iran in the tourism sector,“ Thong Khon said.
Iran hopes to establish a direct flight from Tehran to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap province, as its planes already fly directly to Bangkok and destinations in Vietnam, he said.
Thong Khon suggested that the promotion of tourism industry between the two countries should aim primarily at safe transportation to gain confidence from tourists or travelers.
Altogether 287 Iranian tourists visited Cambodia over the first nine months of 2007, according to Cambodian Tourism Ministry’s statistics.

Spaceflight enthusiasts eager for a taste of the cosmonaut lifestyle can now vie for a new experience: backup space tourist.
The Virginia-based tourism firm Space Adventures is offering a $3 million ticket for the backup seat on an October 2008 flight to the International Space Station (ISS). Sitting in the prime seat is Texas-based computer game developer Richard Garriott, who is paying about $30 million to ride a Russian Soyuz rocket to the orbital laboratory next fall, reported Space.com.
Space Adventures officials announced the new ticket on Nov.15 and told Space.com that it is the first time a backup crewmember slot is available as an official product. The selected backup crewmember will be an active participant in Garriott’s mission and be featured in a documentary TV series, the space tourism firm said.
“I want to involve as many people as possible in my mission and this is one of the most innovative ways to do so,“ Garriott said in the announcement. “Not only will the backup crewmember be certified as a fully-trained cosmonaut and be named to a mission crew, a distinction that less than 1,000 people have ever had; but, our combined participation is a step forward in the progression of our expansion into the cosmos.“
Space Adventures is currently the only firm offering tickets to Earth orbit aboard Soyuz spacecraft launched by Russia’s Federal Space Agency. Garriott will be the sixth paying visitor to the ISS and the first child of a US astronaut to fly in space. His father, former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, flew aboard the US Skylab space station and the space shuttle Columbia.
Last year, Iranian entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari served as the backup for Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto. When medical issues prevented Enomoto from launching to the ISS in September 2006, Ansari stepped into his seat as prime private spaceflyer.
“If I had not trained as a backup crew member in 2006, then I would never have flown to space that year,“ said Ansari, who became the world’s fourth space tourist and the first woman to pay for an orbital flight. “The training was exhilarating and ultimately prepared me for my flight which I’m thankful for.“
Space Adventures CEO Eric Anderson said the $3 million price tag for a backup space tourist slot can also be used as credit for a future orbital or even lunar spaceflight.

Late Chinese revolutionary founder Mao Zedong left his home village not only with a sense of pride but also a source of wealth.
In the central Chinese village of Shaoshan, where Mao was born, local villagers earn money by receiving tourists who are curious about the environment that the great leader came from or in wanting to experience the revolutionary times, Xinhua reported.
Modern China’s first leader spent his childhood in Shaoshan Village during the 1890s, 104 kilometers from Changsha, the Hunan Province capital. His former residence was opened to tourists in 1950 and an increasing number have since made a pilgrimage to this mountain village.
Shaoshan today has become one of the country’s major “red tourism attractions“, a place where many Chinese revolutionists were born, lived or fought.
Almost all of the village’s 450 households earn a decent income from tourists in running restaurants or inns, or in vending Chairman Mao badges or statutes of him as souvenirs.
“But 30 years ago, opening private businesses was considered to run counter to socialism,“ said Mao Yushi, party secretary of Shaoshan Village. “It was strictly forbidden during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).“
Mao still remembers how difficult it was to start a business in the village even in the 1980s, some 10 years after the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976.
“Many people argued that running private business would bring shame to Chairman Mao and that all merchants were unscrupulous,“ said Mao Yushi. “An elderly villager felt so frustrated at stopping people from running businesses that he cried bitterly in front of a portrait of Chairman Mao.“
Mao Yushi said he went to his fellow villagers houses one after another, talking to them into emancipating themselves from old shackles and embracing non-public sectors of the economy.
The situation began to change after people found they made more money by developing tourism in the renowned village than from just doing farm work and raising livestock.
To attract tourists, many locals have linked the name of their restaurants with the late chairman, such as “Mao Family’s Restaurant“ and “Red Sun Restaurant“ (“red sun“ refers to Chairman Mao in his time).
Today, private businesses related to tourism earn Shaoshan City, where the village is located, almost 80 percent of its revenue.
It receives more than one million tourists annually. This year’s revenue is estimated at 520 million yuan (69 million US dollars).

Mausoleum of Iranian scholar, scientist, astronomer, physicist and philosopher Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna) in Hamedan province. Photo by Ali Hassan Pour

Australia has been named the world’s top tourism country ’brand’ for the second year in an annual survey of travelers and industry experts from around the world.
The United States was again runner-up in the Country Brand Index, with Britain rising to third place from sixth in 2006, AFP reported.
Australia was also named the best country for outdoor activities and praised for having the most friendly locals in the survey of 2,600 people.
“Australia is impressive as a strong country brand for the range of vacation experiences that can be enjoyed,“ the study said.
A record 5.5 million visitors traveled to Australia in 2006, fuelling an industry worth about 80 billion dollars (70.4 billion US) that generates more than 10 percent of the country’s exports, according to official data.
The top 10 countries in the survey, which is carried out by marketing consultant FutureBrand and public relations firm Weber Shandwick, with 2006 ranking in brackets:
1-Australia (1), 2-United States (2), 3-Britain (6), 4-France (4), 5-Italy (3), 6-Canada (-), 7-Spain (7), 8-New Zealand (8), 9-Greece (5), 10-Japan (-).

What better place to escape the cold harsh winter than on a tropical island, with warm sunshine and where white sand beaches are in no short supply?
For decades the Caribbean has offered just that. As a result it enjoyed the reputation of being one of the world’s most popular vacation spots, according to Cbc.bb.
But today Caribbean tourism is under threat. First, there are new emerging destinations that offer the same tropical experience. They are also much closer to the European and American markets which the region is heavily dependent on.
This means that the islands can no longer depend on the traditional sun, sea and sand package to attract visitors, and they are now looking to diversify their individual products.
Diversifying their markets is not the only big challenge facing the managers and policy makers of the Caribbean’s vital tourism industry. There’s another real and present threat: climate change.
“In the Caribbean we stand to hurt most because we are small islands and changes in the environment hurt island ecology in a very dramatic way,“ lamented Ricky Skerrit, St Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of State for Tourism.
However Skerrit told BBC Caribbean that the islands should not have to pay for the mistakes of larger countries.

Medical Tourism Association, the first non-profit trade association representing Global Healthcare Providers in the Medical Tourism Industry is launching the first worldwide Medical Tourism Magazine.
Medical Tourism, the growing industry of patients traveling overseas for medical treatment, continues to substantially increase as millions of people each year cross borders in search of better medical care at more affordable prices, reported Pr.com.
Medical Tourism Association (MTA), a not-for-profit organization is comprised of top international hospitals, healthcare providers, facilitators and leaders in the industry. MTA’s mission is to promote positive and stable growth of medical tourism internationally, with a strong focus on promoting the highest quality of care provided to patients.
The Medical Tourism Magazine is the industry’s first trade magazine written by professionals in the industry. The focus is on all the issues surrounding medical tourism, from quality of care, legal issues, pre and post care, to choosing the right international hospital.
The magazine also advises insurance companies and healthcare companies interested in getting involved in medical tourism. The magazine is free for subscribers online in print.
The magazine will be the ultimate information source for the industry and will allow people to be kept up to date on happenings in the industry. Each issue will discuss worldwide global healthcare issues and also contains a focus on a specific country.
The magazine’s first issue will focus on Costa Rica, the second on India, and upcoming issues on Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia.
RenŽe-Marie Stephano, Editor of the Medical Tourism Magazine and Spokesperson for the Association, stated, “This magazine will really open up the prospects for global communication about leading world class medical care provided by international providers.“
The MTA is working on providing transparency for provider outcomes and quality of care on a global level. Many leading international hospitals have agreed to work with the MTA on transparency.