Global tourism falls 8 percent

According to figures published by The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the worldwide tourism is suffering a wider than expected contraction. International visitor numbers slumped 8 percent year-on-year to April, and are predicted to 5-6 percent over the whole of 2009. The UNWTO had previously forecast a 2 percent decline in tourism this year. Increasing unemployment and uncertainty about the impact of the H1N1 swine flu virus are also inhibiting a possible recovery this year.