PATA: It’s no time to lose focus
BANGKOK – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has warned of challenging times ahead for the travel and tourism industry.
International visitor arrivals to Asia Pacific destinations are forecast by PATA to grow at an average rate of 2.7 percent per annum over the next three years


PATA chairman Phornsiri Manoharn warned, “These latest authoritative forecasts from PATA reflect the reality of the current market conditions.
“They point to a gradual and uneven recovery as the region picks itself up from the three percent decline in arrivals in 2009.
“We have witnessed significant changes in travel trends during the global economic recession. These changes have brought benefits to some and caused difficulties for others and it is clear that the next three years will prove to be both challenging and increasingly competitive for all our members.”

Figures released by PATA show a significant slowing in growth rates from the pre-financial crisis level of seven percent per annum. 


Overall international arrivals growth to Asia Pacific destinations, are predicted to be marginal at just over one percent in 2010, rising to around 4.5 percent in 2011 and then stabilizsing at around four percent in 2012.
PATA said the slower rates of growth “heralds the need for tourism-based businesses to continue to find profits in cost containment rather than in volume growth, at least for the current three-year cycle”. 


Growth is predicted to be uneven but there are some hot spots. Some origin-destination pairs are predicted to perform much better than the average Asia Pacific growth rates to 2012. These are:
China (PRC) to Korea (ROK) – a gain of 692,000 international arrivals.

India to Thailand – a gain of 317,000 international arrivals
.
Australia to Malaysia – a gain of 292,000 international arrivals.


Ian Jarrett
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