Tourism Indochina: Visa and PATA Survey Boosts Morale of Asia Pacific Tourism Industry

Tourism Indochina: Visa and PATA Survey Boosts Morale of Asia Pacific Tourism Industry

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2009-02-15):

The positive results of the Visa and PATA Asia Pacific Travel Intentions Survey has boosted the overall morale of the Asia Pacific tourism industry.

The survey, entitled, ‘Determining Travel Preferences in 2009 and Beyond’ found that of the 5,554 people surveyed, 36 percent said they did not expect to make any changes to their travel plans in the near future.

Australians, British, Singaporeans, Indians, French and Americans considered their holidays to be a right not a privilege and were less likely than the average respondent to let the economic crisis get in the way of their travel plans.

64 percent of respondents said that in light of the economic uncertainty they would review their travel plans.

Among those respondents reviewing their plans, 57 percent (mainly from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Chinese Taipei and China) said they would search for less expensive destinations or itineraries.

Domestic travel was an option being considered by 38 percent of respondents, with more travellers from Japan, India, Chinese Taipei, the United States and China opting to holiday ‘in their own backyards’.

While just 36 percent of travellers surveyed said they were planning to postpone travel in the near future.

Meranda Chan, Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei, and PATA Board Director, said: “While the global economic situation will impact tourism, it is unlikely to bring travel to a standstill. What our survey has shown is that travelers will be more creative in their selection of destinations.”

Greg Duffell, President and CEO - PATA said: “The travel and tourism industry is a major employer in nearly every destination in Asia Pacific. Indeed, the top two global markets for travel and tourism employment are China (74.5 million jobs) and India (30.5 million jobs) with Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand also in the top 10.

“We must never understate the importance of working with the travel industry to shape promotions and offerings that suit travellers’ desires for new and economically sensitive travel options – and it’s vitally important that the industry delivers innovative and creative solutions to keep these people travelling.” The Visa and PATA survey has named Asia Pacific as the number one region for those intending to travel overseas from now until 2010.

60 percent of respondents said they would travel to Asia Pacific while North America and Western Europe ranked second and third with 35 percent of the votes each.

The top three Asia Pacific destinations that respondents were considering between now and next year were Australia (43 percent), Japan (37 percent) and Hong Kong (35 percent).

Meranda Chan, Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei, and PATA Board Director, said: “That Asia Pacific was named the leading global leisure travel region by respondents in Visa and PATA’s latest travel survey reinforces the vital role this industry fills in the regional economy.

“ PATA figures show that international arrivals to Asia Pacific destinations grew year on year by some 2.6 percent in 2008 - despite the economic slowdown which created a serious impact on inbound traffic in the second half of the year. The industry accounts for more than 5.5 percent of the total gross domestic product in the region, underscoring the importance of travel and tourism to the vibrant economies of Asia Pacific.”

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