1
Introduction
Tourism is one of the most important economic activities in the wor
ld today,
because it directly generates services, products, foreign curre
ncy, employment and
investments. In countries where tourism has become a flourishing ser
vice industry, it has
a far-reaching economic and social impact on national development.
According to the June 2008 edition of the UNWTO (United Nations World
Tourism Organisation) World Tourism Barometer, the first results
for 2008 suggest the
relative stability of international tourism. In spite of uncertai
nties posed by the global
economy, international tourist arrivals grew at around 5% between J
anuary and April
2008, compared to the same period of 2007.
Prospects for international tourism remain positive, although the over
all economic
climate has deteriorated since the last quarter of 2007, reducin
g consumer confidence and
putting pressure on household spending and travel budgets. UNWTO expects touri
sm
demand to grow, but at a slower pace over the remainder of the year.