Chile tops the list for tourism growth in the Americas

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MADRID.- According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) the world tourism industry reported a total of 898 million international tourist visits during 2007, indicating a 6.2% increase from the 846 million that had been registered the previous year.

The tourism industry, which has seen a boost from the growth of emerging markets and developing economies, showed growth in all regions of the world, led by the Middle East with a 13% year-to-year increase, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 10%; Africa, 8%; the Americas, 5%; and Europe, 4%.

In Europe, the destinations that grew most in popularity during 2007 were Turkey (more than 18%), Greece (12%) and Portugal (10%).

In the Americas, the largest increases came from Chile (12%), Argentina (11%) and the United States (10%).

Of the 52 million additional tourists who traveled to various international destinations during 2007, Europe received 19 million; Asia and the Pacific, 17 million; the Americas, 6 million; the Middle East, 5 million, and Africa, 3 million.