Effects of political instability clearly felt

This article presents recent statistics on the tourism industry in the Mediterranean partner countries. The article is part of an online publication 'European Neighbourhood Policy countries - statistical overview' and presents tourism data for eight Mediterranean countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP-South countries). It offers an overview of tourism intensity and developments between 2001-2011.

Situated on the southern and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean and endowed with a rich history and culture, the ENP-South countries are popular tourist destinations, especially for Europeans, Americans and tourists from other Arab countries. The global economic downturn in 2008 affected tourism slightly in most of these countries, but the effects of the Arab Spring in 2011 are much more obvious.