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Setback
to Asia Pacific tourism in 2006
Pattaya (Thailand): A new AC
Nielsen study carried out for Visa International Asia Pacific (Visa)
and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has warned that tourism
in the Asian-Pacific region could take a fiancial beating in 2006-07
if remedial steps are not taken to remove travelers misconceptions.
The Travel Intentions Survey 2006 report, which investigated the
attitudes of potential travelers to Asia from ten key markets, however,
reveals the increasing willingness of people to visit Asia compared
with a similar survey a year ago. Of individuals intending to travel
internationally in 2006, 43 percent are considering Asia as a holiday
destination. Of those travelers considering Asia, about 80 percent
rate their likelihood of visiting the region at more than 50 percent.
The study highlights a number of concerns that
are holding back growth in the Asian tourism market. While unease
about the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami and fears of a repetition
are not the greatest concern, they nevertheless cast a significant
shadow. Travelers are concerned about their safety in Asia and according
to the study; one in five is misinformed as to the locations where
terrorism has occurred. Fifty-eight percent say that the potential
for terrorism makes them less likely to visit Asia and the same
percentage also say that negative media reports would make them
less likely to travel to Asia. More than two thirds of the respondents
(69 percent) say they would be less likely to visit Asia if their
governments issued travel warnings. The study also uncovered that
potential travelers need urgent access to accurate information.
While tsunamis were not seen as a considerable barrier to travel
(35 percent say they were less likely to visit Asia because of the
tsunami), those who did cite it as a concern were frequently misinformed.
Nearly 16 months after the December 2004 tsunami, a significant
number of potential Asian travelers say that several destinations
(including China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Philippines and Singapore
- markets unaffected by the December 2004 tsunami) were "still
severely or somewhat affected" by the tsunami. Bird flu has
also now emerged as a hurdle to travel in Asia.
Approximately one-third of respondents do not
know which areas have been affected, and more than one in five believe
that areas with no reported cases have been affected. Without belittling
the potential threat of bird flu, clearly ignorance is proving to
be an unnecessary inhibitor to travel. "Travelers' perceptions
do not always reflect the reality of a situation, and ignorance
is costing the industry billions," said Paul Dowling, Visa
Asia Pacific's Executive Vice President for Corporate Relations.
"In 2005, international Visa cardholders traveling in Asia
spent nearly 24 billion dollars. This study shows that while Asia
continues to show its resilience as a tourism market, money is being
left on the table. Better consumer education would make a big difference,
bringing billions of extra tourism dollars, particularly by the
high spending travelers, into Asia." "For our part, we
in the travel industry need to be more proactive in getting the
facts in front of consumers. We believe this study goes a long way
to identifying consumers' concerns that need to be addressed by
the travel industry," Dowling added.
PATA President and CEO Peter de Jong said, "The
overall numbers of the survey are encouraging; more travelers are
considering returning to Asia- Pacific. However, we feel that closer
collaboration is required among the travel industry and the media
to ensure travelers have a clear understanding of the Asia Pacific
region. When our survey tells us that an average of 18 percent of
respondents identified unaffected areas of the 2004 tsunami as 'severely
affected' or 'somewhat affected,' we know there is work to do."
When asked where they obtain information about their upcoming holiday
destinations, 82 percent of the respondents report that they search
the Internet. "Travel marketers and tourism organizations would
do well to maximize the reach of the Internet," said Dowling.
"The survey showed that potential travelers use multiple sources
for information to make travel decisions and the Internet is top
of the list. Providing up-to-date information on websites and monitoring
the Internet to ensure erroneous data is corrected swiftly and forcibly
would greatly assist travelers in making more informed travel decisions."
The study shows that travelers from Asia are most likely to travel
to within Asia. However, outside of the region, travelers from Sweden,
Germany and Austria are most likely to consider Asia in 2006. Aside
from actual volume, the US showed the greatest increase in the proportion
considering Asia compared with 2005. The only country to show a
decline was China, which went from 62 percent to 42 percent. Fears
over potential terrorist attacks were cited as the main reasons
for this decline.
-April 27, 2006
Source - http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/travelnews/tn2006/tnapr06/apr06_22.html
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