MADRID (A.A) - The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announcedon Friday that the number of tourists visiting Turkey was up 5.5 percent in thefirst half of 2010.Based in the Spanish capital of Madrid, the organization said internationaltourist arrivals grew by 7 percent in the same period.According to the August Interim Update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer,tourists preferring the"South Mediterranean", where Turkey was also situated,rose by 2.5 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2010.The UNWTO enumerated Spain, Italy and Turkey among the countries whichreceived the highest number of tourists in the South Mediterranean, and said thatthe highest rise was in Turkey.The number of tourists choosing Italy as a holiday destination was up 5.3percent, whereas the number of tourists visiting Spain was down 0.4 percent inthe first half of 2010.Growth was positive in all world regions, led by a robust performance ofemerging economies expanding at 8% compared to 6% in advanced economies. Asia andthe Pacific (+14%) and the Middle East (+20%), where results were alreadypositive in the second half of 2009, continue to lead growth in the first half of2010 with the majority of destinations in both regions posting double digitgrowth rates."Although we are witnessing a clear recovery in international tourism, wemust remain cautious,"UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said.Rifai also said,"in many advanced economies, namely in the USA and in somemajor European markets, economic recovery has still to consolidate. To this wemust add the recent introduction and increase in taxation, most specificallythose which directly impact the tourism sector, such as air transport taxes.While we fully understand the need to balance public accounts, one-sideddecisions on taxation risk adversely impacting a sector with a proven trackrecord for job creation and economic growth, as one of the major generators ofexports earnings and income sources for developing countries, which are crucialto a stable economic recovery."(BRC-CE)