Asia Pacific tourism sparks global travel surge in January-August
International arrivals surged 16% at an annualized pace in January-August, largely fueled by the rapid recovery in the Asia Pacific region by 33%, according to a report released during the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Perth on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.
Countries across Asia Pacific, particularly China, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia, saw double-digit increases in tourist arrivals, contributing to a projected 19% growth by year’s-end, a report from travel intelligence firm ForwardKeys showed.
International arrivals in the Americas and Europe also grew 18% and 9% in the first eight months of this year compared to last year.
Oceania also posted a 10% rise in the same period, led by Australia and New Zealand.
While the region has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, the current pace of growth signals a strong recovery, driven by pent-up demand for travel across Asia, said Olivier Ponti, director of intelligence and marketing at ForwardKeys.
Australia saw a significant uptick in arrivals, especially from the United States.
Family bookings from the US surged 43%, indicating not only a rise in visitors but also a boost to the Australian economy, as family travelers typically spend more. China remained another key market for Australia, with tourist numbers expected to rise 25% before the end of the year.
This surge in Australian tourism was supported by expanded air connectivity, as airlines have increased capacity on international routes to the country by 8%.
Earlier, WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said the region’s travel and tourism sector is projected to contribute $3.22 trillion to the global economy by the end of 2024, with nearly 191 million people employed across the the sector.
Besides, the Report on World Tourism Economy Trends (2024) predicted that international tourist arrivals would amount to 13.579 billion in number this year, recovering to 103.9 percent of 2019.
