DEVELOPMENTS - Sixty Years Serving World Tourism

13 December, 2006/eTN

The year 2006 marks a double anniversary for international tourism. UNWTO celebrates the 60th anniversary of the existence of an organization at the service of world tourism, and 30 years of its presence in Madrid. During this time, tourism has become a "major economic, social and cultural phenomenon", said UNWTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli, on the occasion of the inauguration of the exhibition "1946-2006: Sixty Years of an Organization Serving World Tourism" at UNWTO headquarters in Madrid.

Tourism has transformed itself and represents today one of the
most dynamic economic sectors. Over the last three decades alone, international tourist arrivals increased five-fold to 806 million in 2005, and tourism expenditures totalled US$ 682 billion. Tourism demand continues to exceed expectations and proves resilience to adverse external factors.

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