ACCORDING to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of worldwide tourist arrivals in 2005 totalled over 800 million, a 5.5 % increase on the previous year. Africa showed some of the strongest growth, with most destinations showing consistent, above average increases in arrivals and receipts. Between 2000 and 2005, international tourist arrivals to the continent showed an average growth of 5.6% a year, compared with a worldwide growth of 3.1% a year. In the same period, Africa’s international tourism receipts more than doubled from US$10.5bn to US$21.3bn. “This surge in African tourism clearly shows the great potential of our sector of the economy to help trade and development in the region and in so doing to make an important contribution to the Millenium Development Goals aimed at reducing poverty systematically by 2015 – particularly in Africa,” said UNWTO secretary general Francesco Frangialli. Jeanette Briedenhann (jeanetteb@nowmedia.co.za)
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