{
  "id": 8231763,
  "title": "UN Lowers 2026 Int'l Tourism Growth Outlook over War, High Prices",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/un-lowers-2026-intl-tourism-growth-outlook-over-war-high-prices",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-18T10:55:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tempo.co English",
    "slug": "tempo-co-english",
    "url": "https://en.tempo.co/read/2119867/un-lowers-2026-intl-tourism-growth-outlook-over-war-high-prices"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 17, UN Tourism revised its forecast for global international tourist arrivals in 2026, now anticipating a growth rate between 1% and 2% instead of the initially projected 3-4%. The reduction was attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the resulting surge in travel costs, according to Xinhua and Antara. The Middle East witnessed a 22% decrease in international tourist arrivals due to the direct impacts of the conflict, according to the World Tourist Barometer report. Despite a 0.4% year-on-year increase in international tourist arrivals during the first half of 2026, the total reached only 690 million, marking a 3 million increase compared to the same period in 2025. The first quarter of 2026 saw a 2% rise in arrivals, but this growth slowed to a 1% drop in the following quarter, with June experiencing a 3% year-on-year decline. However, growth was observed in Africa (+4% YoY), Europe (+3%), and the Americas (+2%). The Asia and Pacific region experienced a 1% rise, though it remained 11% below 2019 levels. UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais emphasized that the situation in the Middle East has had far-reaching implications, highlighting the need to build resilience globally. The UN official noted that while tourism continues to grow, the current trajectory is fragile, and the revised outlook hinges on the continuation of the Middle East conflict, oil prices, and overall inflation. The revised outlook suggests travelers will prioritize value for money, potentially opting for destinations closer to home or shifting towards domestic travel, given the high prices and uncertainty in the sector.",
  "summary": "UN Tourism lowered its projection for global international tourist arrival growth for 2026 to 1-2%.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}