World tourism shrank after Sept 11
The international tourism industry shrank 2.6% last year because the September 11 attacks 'severely aggravated' the effects of the global economic slow down, the World Tourism Organisation said today.
The US was among the hardest-hit countries, with the number of visitors from abroad plummeting 10.6%.
Although the global downturn was significantly worse than forecast in the aftermath of the attacks - the organisation insisted the sector was 'resilient and stable' and would return to growth by the end of this year.
Hundreds of millions of people still travelled abroad last year, but made shorter journeys closer to home and stayed in cheaper accommodation, the organisation said in Madrid.
The decrease in the total number of international tourism trips dropped only 0.6% - from 697 million in 2000 to 692 million last year.
‘‘International tourism experienced a serious crisis but showed again how resilient it can be,’’ said the organisation’s secretary-general, Francesco Frangialli.
France remained the world’s top tourist destination, drawing 76.5 million visitors or 1.2% more than 2001, followed by Spain at 49.5 million, or 3.4% more than the previous year.
