Latest figures released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) show that the numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region improved by a marginal 0.5 percent during the month of August 2009 compared to August 2008.
PATA has taken another significant step towards important and necessary changes in its structure and governance. Members of the Association have been notified of an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) scheduled for Saturday 26 September 2009 in Hangzhou, China (PRC) in conjunction with the PATA Board of Directors' meeting being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hangzhou from 25-27 September 2009.
The PATA Tourism Forecasts 2009-2011, to be published this month, suggest growth in international arrivals for many destinations across the region - despite the global economic downturn. The Forecasts indicate a very mixed bag of results with significant variations across Asia Pacific.
PATA's 'Annual Travel Monitor 2007', published by the Association's Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC), states that almost 376 million IVAs (international visitor arrivals) were recorded last year - up from around 347 million in 2006.
According to the latest Nielsen China Outbound Travel Monitor nearly half of Chinese international travellers purchase luxury branded goods when they go overseas - with close to two-thirds snapping up fragrance, perfume and cosmetic bargains followed by fashion/accessories/leather goods and souvenirs/confectionery.
Young Australians may never visit a bricks and mortar travel agency because it is 'not in their psyche', according to Scott Blume, Chief Executive of PATA member Zuji.
Asia's carbon-neutral pioneers say this is already bringing them credibility in lucrative longhaul markets such as Europe and North America. These are markets where an increasing number of consumers and tour operators now insist on green benchmarking before booking hotels, tours and ground handling services in Asia Pacific.
The 'war for talent' is real. The labour pool will soon shrink in many Asia Pacific destinations, even while more than two-thirds of the world's new jobs will be created in the region.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is forecasting robust growth for travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region, with tourism revenues to top US$4.6 trillion and visitor arrivals to reach close to 500 million by the end of 2010.
