Global tourism bounced back from the world financial crisis with unexpected vigour, surging almost 7.0 per cent last year on the back of strong growth in emerging economies, the UN World Tourism Organisation said yesterday.

“Boosted by improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has recovered faster than expected from the impacts of the global financial crisis and economic recession of late 2008 and 2009,” it said in a statement.

International tourist arrivals were up by 6.7 per cent at 935 million compared to 2009, higher than the pre-crisis level of 913 million in 2008, “with positive growth reported in all world regions,” it said.

In 2009, international tourist arrivals fell by around 4.0 per cent.

“While all regions posted growth in international tourist arrivals, emerging economies remain the main drivers of this recovery,” the Madrid-based body said.

UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said the result “is better than many experts predicted...

“The important part of this is that we are finally above the level of 2008... The challenge now is to consolidate this growth, which is not going to be an easy task,” he told a news conference called to announce the results.

The UNWTO statement said the strong performance came “despite persistent economic uncertainty in major markets, the natural disasters suffered in some countries, political and social unrest in others, the serious disruption of air travel following a volcanic eruption in Iceland last April and the problematic weather conditions in parts of Europe and the USA in December.”