Asia Pacific region expected to show strongest rebound: Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General AI, UNWTO

While growth is returning to international tourism, led to a large extent by Asia and the Pacific, public and private bodies in the region must continue to work together on responses to the crisis to ensure a sustained recovery. This was the main conclusion to emerge from the 22nd Joint Meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the preceding Conference on the Socio-Economic Benefits of Tourism, organised in collaboration with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on May 11-12, 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam.  

“Following one of the toughest years for the tourism sector, Asia and the Pacific has emerged a star performer and is expected to show the strongest rebound given its renewed economic dynamism. Indeed, data reported for the first months of 2010 shows that the region is already leading the recovery with an increase in international tourist arrivals of ten per cent,”  said Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General Ad Interim, UNWTO at the opening of the Commission.