Panama City - The tourism industry has generated about 19 million jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in 2018 and is the sixth largest contributor to the region's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it was reported in Panama City on Friday.

On the occasion of the celebration of World Tourism Day this Friday, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) reported that the regional contribution of the sector was US$398 billion last year, equivalent to 9.3% of GDP, according to figures from specialized institutions.

That amount was due to the visits of more than 116 million international tourists, but the organization estimates that the number of passengers arriving to the area will double in the next 10 years.

At the same time, the entity invited Latin American and Caribbean vacationers to travel within the region itself, which has highly interesting offers.

ALTA Executive Director Luis Felipe de Oliveira told the press that countries in the region are developing this industry as an economic engine, generator of jobs and opportunities, even for remote places in the continent, with enviromental protection as a fundamental pillar.

The airline industry has maintained a growth for 15 years, and despite repeated crises in the continent and particularly in several Latin American countries, the average growth rate exceeds 5% per year and increases three to five times more than that of GDP, the executive said.

LAC has natural and cultural resources that facilitate the promotion of tourism, ALTA noted in a press release, in which it cited Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina and Colombia among the top 20 countries of the most recent competitive ranking of the World Economic Forum.