Global tourism shrinks 2.6 percent

MADRID, Spain - Revenues from international tourism shrank 2.6 percent last year because the Sept. 11 attacks "severely aggravated" the impact of a global economic slowdown, the World Tourism Organization said Tuesday.\nThe United States was among the hardest-hit countries, with its earnings from foreign tourists falling by 11.9 percent and the total number of visitors from abroad dipping 10.6 percent.\nAlthough the global downturn was worse than forecast in the aftermath of the attacks, the organization insisted the tourism sector was "resilient and stable" and would return to growth by the end of this year.\nHundreds of millions of people still traveled abroad last year, but many stayed closer to home and slept in cheaper\naccommodation, the organization said. The decrease in the total number of international tourist trips dropped by only 0.6\npercent - from 697 million in 2000 to 692 million last year.\n"International tourism experienced a serious crisis but showed again how resilient it can be," said the organization's\nsecretary-general, Francesco Frangialli.\nIndustry revenue dropped from $475 billion in 2000 to $463 billion last year. However, growth was already slowing before Sept. 11 because of the deceleration of global economic expansion, according to the organization.\nThe terrorist attacks "severely aggravated the situation," Frangialli said.\nHe added that the "decrease was temporary and somewhat less painful than we had expected," even though on Sept. 17, Frangialli had said industry growth would sink to 1.5 percent in that year. It grew by 7.4 percent in 2000.\nFrance remained the world's No. 1 tourist destination, drawing 76.5 million visitors or 1.2 percent more than 2001, followed by Spain at 49.5 million, or 3.4 percent more than the previous year.\nThe United States slid from second to third place with the number of foreign visitors decreasing to 45.5 million from 50.9\nmillion in 2000.\nThe Madrid-based organization's members include 139 countries and territories.