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29 March 2024

Tourist flow to grow in region

(AFP)

Published
By Staff Writer

Tourist flow between Asia and the Middle East is expected to grow faster than anywhere else in the world, UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) representatives said at a conference on "Increasing Tourist Flows between Asia and the Middle East", held in Tehran recently.

The move, a part of an effort to bring the two regions closer together economically, culturally and socially, aimed at building on the potential for promoting bilateral travel flows across all sectors of travel, such as leisure, business, conventions, study, health and wellness and pilgrimage.

According to UNWTO statistics, the Middle East recorded 11.3 per cent growth in international tourist arrivals in 2008, while the Asia-Pacific region was up 1.6 per cent. The travel trade body projected that tourism flows between these regions will grow faster than anywhere else in the world.

Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of UNWTO, said: "There are several UNWTO member states that enjoy large tourist flows from within these regions due to a creative marketing approach and to the provision of appropriate tourism facilities and infrastructure."