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News Release
by St. Maarten Government Information Service (GIS)
Posted: Dec 1, 2006 15:53 UTC
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GREAT BAY, St. Maarten (GIS) – Commissioner of Tourism & Economic Affairs Theo Heyliger, says the island can once again look forward to a good tourism season, adding that world tourism also continues to exceed expectations.
International arrivals for the first eight months are up 4.5 per cent and poised to set another all-time high according to recent figures released World Tourism Organization (WTO).
International travel experts point out that global tourism showed resilience against factors such as this summer’s Israeli-Hizbollah war in Lebanon and terrorist threats to air travel.
The short-term outlook for global tourism remains very positive due to a strong world economy and favourable exchange rates encourage Europeans and Asians to travel. International tourism is expected to remain buoyant unless major incidents occur.
Growth for the whole of 2006 is forecast at 4.6 per cent and is expected to continue in 2007 at around four per cent worldwide, which though slightly slower than in previous years, but is much in line with long-term forecast growth rate of 4.1 per cent a year through 2020.
In the first eight months of 2006 international tourist arrivals totaled 578 million worldwide, up from 553 million in the same period of 2005, a year which saw an all-time record of 806 million people traveling internationally.
Overall growth in the Americas was 2.5 per cent. The Caribbean was 5.1 per cent, Central America 8.7 per cent, South America 8.1 per cent, exceeding the global growth average but North America fell by 0,4 per cent.
“We have a number of challenges such as traffic congestion. All stakeholders worked diligently to bring relief to traffic congestion in Cole Bay and we will continue to do what is necessary where it concerns this matter.
“With the new terminal building at the Princess Juliana International Airport fully operational, the visitor experience to and from the island will be further enhanced when compared to the old terminal building and the complaints received then.
“Cruise tourism continues to show its resilience despite challenges the industry has been experiencing with high energy prices among other factors. Once again we look forward to a good cruise tourism season,” Commissioner Theo Heyliger told the GIS on Friday.
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Written by Roddy Heyliger, Communications Consultant for the Government Information Service (GIS), Dept. Head Erno Labega, Ennia Bldg., Longwall Rd., Philipsburg, St. Maarten D.W.I. Tel. 00-599-543-1162, 542-4119, Fax: 543-1169; Email: gis@sintmaarten.net;
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