Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and the main economic hub in the country, received 11 million tourists last year. The figure –up 2.8 percent higher than recorded in 2007- is an annual record high, according to figures disclosed on January 5 by Sao Paulo Tourism (SPT), a company that promotes tourism in the city.
Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service and an Experian company, reveals that UK Internet searches for flights have fallen by 42 percent over the last 12 months.
The Obama effect and the weak U.S. dollar have helped contribute to an 8 percent increase in international visitors to the United States during the first nine months of 2008.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 39 million inbound visitors visited the country, spending $108.4 billion, an increase of 22 percent over the first nine months of 2007.
The South Korean economy is feared to be heading towards a recession as domestic demand slows. In addition, the local currency fell by as much as 38 percent in 2008, making it expensive for Koreans to import or to go overseas. But tourism is booming in South Korea these days as foreigners flock to the country to enjoy the winter season.
Recently released official data show that foreign tourist arrivals to Greece rose by 8.5 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) in 2007 –slightly stronger than we had previously forecast- which represents three years of steady growth in the tourism sector. The number of cruise passenger arrivals (included in these data) declined slightly y-o-y.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says more focus will be placed on community tourism over the next five years, to capitalize on the shift towards heritage and cultural vacations.