.- The secretary general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, said today that the revolutions in the Arab world have benefited countries such as Spain, but warned that this is a temporary phenomenon. "Some places have benefited, especially in Spain the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and the South," Rifai said during a visit to Cairo, where today he met with the head of government Esam Sharaf and Tourism Minister Munir Fakhri Abdelnur.
The head of the WTO said that as a result of instability in the Arab world by popular revolts, many tourists have opted for other destinations in the Mediterranean such as Spain, Greece or Italy. And is that only in Egypt, which experienced a revolution between 25 January and 11 February this year that ended the regime of Hosni Mubarak, the number of visitors has decreased overall by 40 percent, "was worse in February and March, is improving in April and is expected to be better in May, "he said.
"When we say best goodness-we mean Rifai pointed out. Not to say that's out of the red, still are trying times for Egypt." As a result, "it is clear that in the last month in Spain has been a growth of 3.8 (percent), which is significant compared to the beginning of the year or last year, a large number of tourists has shifted to Spain.
" Still, he warned that "these gains (tourists) can never be seen as strategic or long-term gains are momentary diversion as a result of tourism for a specific situation. As soon as things change in Egypt and Tunisia, people return (here) again. " But "that does not mean that Spain will lose them (visitors) when Egypt was lifted, on the contrary, we believe that when a neighbor neighbors earn wins.
In Spain, Italy, Greece and France are interested in seeing a and Egypt Tunisia who are fit and well, "said the Jordanian official. And he stressed that "momentary gains are good for their immediate impact and to establish new customers, because the numbers are beginning to rise" globally.
Regarding the situation in the Arab world, particularly in Egypt, Rifai said that gradually decreasing trend is reversing. "The minister (Abdelnur) has revealed that the decline in April was 35 percent compared with 80 percent in February," said Rifai. The recovery of tourism in the country of the Nile depends, according to Rifai, on three factors: political developments, the public policy and the seriousness with which the administration takes the issue, and the overall trend in the region.
Rifai added that the elections next September and what happens next will be very important for the future of the sector in Egypt and ruled that the issue of security influence the evolution. "Egypt is safe because the people protects you, cares for the visitors," he said. Anyway, the head of the WTO recognized that Egypt is not isolated and that will depend on what happens in other Arab countries.
"The region is perceived as a region in transition, so if you have even more unstable countries and other less volatile, the region suffers. It is the only region that has seen a decline in the first quarter of 2011. Regarding the global situation, Rifai noted that it expected global growth of tourism to the end of this year of between four or five percent, which was confirmed in the first quarter of 2011 with an increase of five percent.
"This is a domain characterized by the growth of emerging countries," said Rifai, who said that "Latin America is doing well, especially South America," with countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile. But he said "without doubt the star is Asia." 
The head of the WTO said that as a result of instability in the Arab world by popular revolts, many tourists have opted for other destinations in the Mediterranean such as Spain, Greece or Italy. And is that only in Egypt, which experienced a revolution between 25 January and 11 February this year that ended the regime of Hosni Mubarak, the number of visitors has decreased overall by 40 percent, "was worse in February and March, is improving in April and is expected to be better in May, "he said.
"When we say best goodness-we mean Rifai pointed out. Not to say that's out of the red, still are trying times for Egypt." As a result, "it is clear that in the last month in Spain has been a growth of 3.8 (percent), which is significant compared to the beginning of the year or last year, a large number of tourists has shifted to Spain.
" Still, he warned that "these gains (tourists) can never be seen as strategic or long-term gains are momentary diversion as a result of tourism for a specific situation. As soon as things change in Egypt and Tunisia, people return (here) again. " But "that does not mean that Spain will lose them (visitors) when Egypt was lifted, on the contrary, we believe that when a neighbor neighbors earn wins.
In Spain, Italy, Greece and France are interested in seeing a and Egypt Tunisia who are fit and well, "said the Jordanian official. And he stressed that "momentary gains are good for their immediate impact and to establish new customers, because the numbers are beginning to rise" globally.
Regarding the situation in the Arab world, particularly in Egypt, Rifai said that gradually decreasing trend is reversing. "The minister (Abdelnur) has revealed that the decline in April was 35 percent compared with 80 percent in February," said Rifai. The recovery of tourism in the country of the Nile depends, according to Rifai, on three factors: political developments, the public policy and the seriousness with which the administration takes the issue, and the overall trend in the region.
Rifai added that the elections next September and what happens next will be very important for the future of the sector in Egypt and ruled that the issue of security influence the evolution. "Egypt is safe because the people protects you, cares for the visitors," he said. Anyway, the head of the WTO recognized that Egypt is not isolated and that will depend on what happens in other Arab countries.
"The region is perceived as a region in transition, so if you have even more unstable countries and other less volatile, the region suffers. It is the only region that has seen a decline in the first quarter of 2011. Regarding the global situation, Rifai noted that it expected global growth of tourism to the end of this year of between four or five percent, which was confirmed in the first quarter of 2011 with an increase of five percent.
"This is a domain characterized by the growth of emerging countries," said Rifai, who said that "Latin America is doing well, especially South America," with countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile. But he said "without doubt the star is Asia."
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