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erally did not mind using local touristic resources
and supplies during their stays and thus did not
change their host habitat, whereas the modern
mass tourists normally expect services similar to
those at home and, knowingly or not, produce
untold changes in their holiday destinations.
International tourism is a slow but steady
equalising process among host and guest countries.
Balancing tourism's positive and negative
consequences is a challenge yet to be articulated
and faced by governments worldwide.
According to the World Tourism Organization
�1997b), the pattern of international flows
reveals first and foremost a heavy geographical
concentration of tourism arrivals. The ten leading
destinations account for almost 52 per cent of the
world volume. The total international arrivals
�including those related to religion and family
motivations but excluding excursionists or same
day visitors) in 1997 was about 612 million. France
was the most popular country destination with 66
million arrivals �10.9 per cent of world total), the
United States was second with 49 million �8 per
cent), Spain was third with 43 million �7.1 per
cent), Italy was fourth with 34 million �5.5 per
cent), and the United Kingdom was fifth with 25
million �4.2 per cent).
To have a better idea of the economic
importance of international tourism receipts for
these host countries, in 1997 USA earned $75
billion �16.9 per cent of world total), Italy $30
billion �6.7 per cent), France $27.9 billion �6.3 per
cent), Spain $27 billion �6.1 per cent) and the
United Kingdom $20.6 billion �4.64 per cent).
Comparing these percentages with those of the
arrivals, there is an evidence of the level of
expenditure in each country: the United States at
$1,531 per person is at one end and France at $418
at the other �the latter is partly due to the fact that
many European tourists just travel through France
to other destinations) Total international tourism
receipts in 1997 amounted to $444 billion.
Viewed differently, regionally international arrivals
and receipts for 1997 in percentages of world
total market share in order of ranking were Europe
�59 per cent of arrivals and 49.4 per cent of
receipts); the Americas �19.4 per cent and 27.1 per
cent, with the United States having the lion's
share); East Asia/Pacific �14.7 per cent and 18.7
per cent); Africa �3.8 per cent and 2 per cent); the
Middle East �2.4 per cent and 1.9 per cent); and
South Asia �0.7 per cent and 0.9 per cent).
Parenthetically, in the same year the Mediterranean
countries of Europe, Africa and the Middle
East accounted for 187 million international
arrivals �30.6 per cent of the world total), thus
being the single regional destination with biggest
share of total world tourism �25.5 per cent of total
world receipts). The Spanish archipelago of
Balearic Isles has the single biggest tourism market
share �5 per cent) with 9.4 million arrivals. Similar
concentration was present in the Pacific �Hawaii)
and in the Atlantic �Canary Islands), all being `sun
and beach' destinations.
During recent years there has been a gradual
diversification of tourism markets with the emergence
of new destinations, according to the World
Tourism Organization �1997c). This is more
evident in the East Asia and the pacific region.
For example, China jumped to the sixth position in
the world with 24 million arrivals �3.9 per cent of
the total). On the other hand, the Russian
Federation has not yet made substantial gains in
its world market share �2.5 per cent), being ranked
fourteenth with 15 million arrivals. These shifts
and changes at regional and global levels continue
to be among the most important research themes
financed and pursued by major tourism companies
and tourism-dependent economies and eagerly
watched by both tourism generating and receiving
countries.
References
international understanding 325
World Tourism Organization �1997a) International
Tourism:A Global Perspective, Madrid: WTO.
ÐÐ �1997b) Tourism Highlights, Madrid: WTO.
ÐÐ �1997c) Tourism Market Trends:Europe, Madrid:
WTO.
ESTEBAN BARDOLET, SPAIN
international understanding
Travel has provided people with the opportunity to
encounter, appreciate, interact and learn, both
formally and informally, about the cultural and