The number of tourists to the Middle East is expected to more than double by 2020 as a result of continued investment in the sector, the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) predicted in a recent report. The region will experience a growth rate almost double the world average, increasing to 136 million by 2020 from 54 million last year, said UNWTO’s regional representative for the Middle East Amr Abdel-Ghaffar at a seminar in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"Generally speaking, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries appear to be showing a fair degree of resilience to the global economic downturn," Abdel-Ghaffar said. "The impact of the H1N1 flu, coupled with the global economic crisis, is likely to boost regional and domestic hotel occupancies, as increasingly travellers may opt for destinations closer to home, within the region or even within their home countries," he said.