MENA tourist arrivals down 11-13% in H1 2011 on political instability.

By bne IntelliNews September 9, 2011
Political instability in some MENA countries prompted a 13% fall in tourist arrivals to North Africa and an 11% decrease to the Middle East, The National reported citing data from the UN World Tourism Organization. Tourist inflow to the region was negatively affected by lower demand for some popular destinations in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria. Hoteliers in the UAE have reported strong growth in occupancy levels, as travellers have avoided other destinations in the region. The UN World Tourism Organization said global tourism grew 4.5% y/y in the first half of this year to 440mn arrivals. Outlook for the second half of 2011 is however less optimistic given that recent months have brought increased uncertainty, hampering business and consumer confidence.

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