Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA
FOREIGN arrivals into the Asia-Pacific is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 4.6 per cent annually from now till 2020 to reach more than 657 million visitors yearly, according to PATA’s Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2016-2020 report released yesterday.
“Actual foreign arrival numbers into Asia-Pacific at the aggregate level have been within two per cent of predictions made in the last few PATA forecasts, so we know that the numbers are realistic, reliable and valid,” assured Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA.
Asia is expected to maintain its dominance as a destination, and will likely increase its relative share of Asia-Pacific arrivals from 72 per cent last year to more than 73 per cent by 2020.
South-east Asia too, will continue to welcome more visitors, improving its relative share from just under 20 per cent in 2015 to around 22.5 per cent by the end of the decade.
As a source market, PATA expects Asia to also generate increasing international arrivals into the Asia-Pacific, upping its count from 355 million visitors in 2015 to around 448 million by 2020, an increase from 66 per cent to 68 per cent of total arrivals.
Meanwhile, northeast Asia is expected to generate 333 million in international arrivals into Asia-Pacific by 2020, adding to the zeitgeist that intra-regional tourism is set to remain strong going forward.
Further afield, the Americas is expected to generate around 113 million arrivals into Asia-Pacific by 2020, driven largely by north America which will contribute close to two-thirds of that volume.
Lastly, the 47 million arrivals from Europe expected in 2020 will come foremost from west Europe (19.5 million) and north Europe (14.7 million). Combined, these two sub-regions will account for close to two-thirds of the total arrivals from Europe by the end of the forecast period.
“This last series of predictions again highlights the rapidly approaching need for aggressive and appropriate visitor management processes to be installed and operational before we literally destroy our destinations with our love and desire to interact with them,” cautioned Hardy.
