TEHRAN – Iran’s international tourism arrivals over the last year dropped by 5.6 percent compared to 2015. According to UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) tourism highlights 2017 edition, 4.942 million tourists have visited Iran in 2016. The figure for 2015 stood at 5.237 million. The country’s tourism receipt in 2015 hit $3.868 million but the report […]
TEHRAN – Iran’s international tourism arrivals over the last year dropped by 5.6 percent compared to 2015.
According to UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) tourism highlights 2017 edition, 4.942 million tourists have visited Iran in 2016. The figure for 2015 stood at 5.237 million.
The country’s tourism receipt in 2015 hit $3.868 million but the report did not provide the figure for 2016.
The report further added that tourism has boasted virtually uninterrupted growth over time, despite occasional shocks, demonstrating the sector’s strength and resilience. International tourist arrivals have increased from 25 million globally in 1950 to 278 million in 1980, 674 million in 2000, and 1,235 billion in 2016.
Likewise, international tourism receipts earned by destinations worldwide have surged from US$ 2 billion in 1950 to US$ 104 billion in 1980, US$ 495 billion in 2000, and US$ 1,220 billion in 2016.
In addition to receipts earned in destinations, international tourism also generated US$ 216 billion in exports through international passenger transport services rendered to non-residents in 2016, bringing the total value of tourism exports up to US$ 1.4 trillion, or US$ 4 billion a day on average.
International tourism represents 7 percent of the world’s exports in goods and services, after increasing one percentage point from 6 percent in 2015. Tourism has grown faster than world trade for the past five years.
As a worldwide export category, tourism ranks third after chemicals and fuels and ahead of automotive products and food. In many developing countries, tourism is the top export category.
