February 11, 2024, Adit Sarin
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has released its Executive Summary report, revealing promising projections for international visitor arrivals (IVAs) across the Asia Pacific region. The report indicates significant annual growth in IVAs for the years 2024 to 2026, highlighting the region’s swift recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, Asia is set to lead as the primary supplier region of IVAs, contributing over 58% of all arrivals into Asia Pacific in 2024. This robust growth is expected to continue through 2026, with America and Europe following closely with shares of approximately 19% and 14%, respectively.
Under the mild scenario outlined in the report, pre-COVID levels of IVAs are projected to be surpassed in 2024, with even more optimistic outcomes expected by 2025 under the medium scenario. However, the possibility of a severe scenario remains, which could see arrival numbers lingering around 13 percentage points below the 2019 benchmark by the end of 2026.
Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA, commented on the forecasts, highlighting the region’s strong visitor growth and attributing it partly to joint agreements on destination visa requirements. While expressing optimism, Hamid also cautioned against expecting uniform growth across all destinations, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and preparedness amidst industry shifts and uncertainties.
Despite varying scenarios, Asia is poised to maintain a significant advantage in IVA numbers, securing over 70% of arrivals into and across the region annually from 2024 to 2026. However, challenges related to staffing and service excellence remain key concerns for destinations within the region, especially amidst global competition targeting Asia Pacific’s source markets.
As the region continues to see a rise in arrival numbers, Hamid stressed the importance of avoiding complacency and maintaining vigilance in addressing ongoing challenges to ensure sustainable growth and success in the tourism industry.
