International travel makes a return
Posted on Wednesday 19 January 2011
in Canada, China
By Dylan Thomas
International travel is on the rise. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is reporting that 2010 was a strong year for global travel with more people making their way to Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.
According to CNN, the UNWTO reports that international travel was up 4 percent in 2010. Asia was the first to recover after tourism hit a slump in 2009, with an increase of 13 percent last year. Travel to the Middle East rose 14 percent by the end of 2010, with the Americas seeing an increase of 8 percent.
The report credits a number of "mega events" for the increase in visitors. For example, the travel to China boomed last year due in part to the Shanghai Expo, and more skiers are hitting the slopes in Vancouver, thanks to exposure from the Winter Olympics.
Many Shanghai hotels are still preparing for an onslaught of visitors in 2011, since the Expo will now be on permanent display at a new museum in the city's Puxi cultural center.
In Canada, officials at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort near Vancouver believe the resort may see its busiest season yet.
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