Photo: Jorg Stober/123rf

By Frank Martin

TTC Service.- The growth of world tourism was not as expected in 2019 and the obstacles were uncertainty due to the deceleration of the planetary economy and a bankruptcy that seems unforgettable by the gigantic British operator Thomas Cook.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) confirmed that last year 1,500,000,000 tourists traveled the world, which meant an increase of 4% compared to 2018, but a drop in growth of 7% in 2017 and 6% in the 18.

The specialists, who expect the trend to continue in 2020, have already asked themselves and got some answers about the factors that determined the result of 2019.

Three elements seem obvious, all linked to the uncertainty about the global economy.

The first negative factor is Brexit, that is, Britain’s exit program from the European Union, caught amid political disputes in the United Kingdom.

Also the serious protests in Hong Kong and the situation of some very turbulent countries in South America.

The bankruptcy of British tour operator Thomas Cook, who was financially very firm, also scared the world of tourism.

Europe appears as the most affected by the slowdown. On the old continent tourists increased 4% compared to 6% in 2018.

However, European destinations were the most favored by world tourism in 2019 with 743,000,000 people, 51% of the whole world.

In the Americas, vacation travelers increased 2% in 2019 compared to 2018 despite the fact that the Caribbean islands managed to recover despite the terrible hurricanes of 2017.

Asia Pacific had a 5% drop in growth last year compared to 7% in 2019 and arrivals in Africa fell 4%.

France, Spain and the United States remain at the top of the list of most visited countries in the world according to statistics that, as noted, are still provisional.