Statistics issued yesterday by the National Statistics Office revealed that tourists arriving from Germany amounted to 11,375, which is nearly 16 per cent of tourist arrivals for the month. Tourists from the German market fell by 3,165 during the month under review. The number of French tourists also fell by over 25 per cent while reductions in tourist arrivals were also registered from the Belgian, Dutch and Swiss markets.
On the other hand, the number of tourists arriving from the United Kingdom increased by 2,053, with the figure for British tourist arrivals being 30,194 from the 28,141 recorded last year. The other increases in tourist arrivals were recorded in the Austrian, Danish and Italian markets as well as increases in a group of other markets and the United States.
Tourist arrivals between January and March 2004 reached 167,390, a fall of 2,783 tourists compared to the same period last year. During the period under review, the Italian market accounted for 13,688 tourists – an increase of 2,947. Increases in other markets included the Austrian, Danish, Libyan, Swedish and a group of other markets.
On the other hand, British tourists fell by 3,491 over the same three-month period last year. The French market declined by 1,445 tourists and the German market by 3,351. Falls in other markets included those of Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
The figures also showed that there was an increase of 157 tourists arriving by sea compared to March 2003.
Meanwhile, the statistics also revealed that in January this year, tourism earnings were estimated at Lm16.8 million, an increase of Lm2.6 million over the same period last year. Tourism earnings per capita reached Lm408.35, an increase of Lm60.19 from the Lm348.16 recorded during the same period last year.