TOURISM INDIA MARCH 2019 TOURISM INDIA FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 13

share of close to 74 percent of foreign
arrivals in 2018, the proportion into
Asia is expected to increase to over
76 percent by the end of the forecast
period (2023). The impact on the
Americas and the Pacific is a slight
contraction in their respective relative
shares from 22.4 percent in 2018 to
just under 20 percent in 2023 for the
former, and from four percent to 3.8
percent for the latter, even as their
respective numbers of foreign arrivals
increase.
Asia will also be the strongest
generator of foreign arrivals into
Asia Pacific over the forecast period,
improving its relative share of arrivals
from 63.9 percentage points in 2018,
to over 66 percentage points in 2023.
Intra-regional travel flows remain
important for both the Americas and
Asia, with the former destination
region seeing over three-quarters of its
foreign arrivals originating within that
region in both 2018 and 2023.
Similarly, for Asia, where intra-
regional travel flows will increase in
relative terms, from almost 94% in
2018 to over 94% by 2023.
The Pacific destination region differs,
in as much as more than half of its
inbound international visitor arrivals
originated in Asia in 2018 with that
proportion forecast to increase to
around 57% by 2023. Even so, the
intra-regional flows from the Pacific to
the Pacific remain significant at over
30% in 2023.
PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy
points out that “Asia continues to
be the engine of growth for foreign
arrivals into Asia Pacific, with intra-
regional flows in particular, remaining
important. This intra-regional activity
is true for the Americas as well, but
less so for the Pacific which is rapidly
becoming more popular with Asian
markets.”
He further adds, “Once again, we
need to be mindful of the fact that in
delivering positive and memorable
experiences to a rapidly changing
inbound market mix, we need to
maintain a service ethic and mind-set
that is consistently superior and at
the same time, tailored to the very
different needs of an increasingly
diverse range of visitors”.
Furthermore, Dr. Hardy noted that,
“In developing a service mindset we
need to ask ourselves are we preparing
to welcome 898 million foreign arrivals
into Asia Pacific in 2023, or should
we think of that instead, as one very
special visitor, 898 million times. Your
perspective on that can make all the
difference”.
February 2019 Tourism India
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