ASIA PACIFC. The Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) latest quarterly international visitor arrivals (IVAs) forecast portrays a steadily improving regional recovery in the travel market.
The forecast is current to 6 May and based on data provided by 39 Asia Pacific destinations. In line with the start of the vast region’s travel recovery, aggregate numbers into the 39 destinations are projected to have step-wise annual increases beginning in 2022 and continuing to 2024. These are presented across mild, medium, and severe scenarios.
IVA recovery rates (above 2019 baseline level) for visitors into and across Asia Pacific are predicted to reach between 25% and 48% of the volume last received in 2019, with the numbers reflecting the range of potential outcomes from a severe to a mild scenario.
This is a solid improvement over the 16-18% range of 2021 – the trough year for most Asia Pacific destinations – and heralds the beginning of a continued growth trend to 2024, PATA said.
The number of foreign arrivals into and across Asia Pacific is still projected to either reach parity with the 2019 position (medium scenario) or be well above it (mild scenario) by 2024. Even so, the severe scenario offers a reminder of the possibility for conditions to deteriorate once again, PATA said, citing multiple negative influencing factors. These include the ongoing pandemic continually evolving; the Ukraine/Russia crisis; escalating jet fuel prices; and limited air capacity and routes; plus industry-wide staff shortages.
While annual growth is predicted to occur for each of the 39 destinations covered between 2022 and 2024, there will naturally be variations, PATA pointed out. This is illustrated by the differences in relative positions for each of the three Asia Pacific destination regions, as well as under each of the three scenarios within each of those regions.
At the individual destination level, recovery rates vary broadly in 2022 and are predicted to range from less than 15% to almost 99%, while in 2024, they range from 86% to 120% under that same scenario. Overall, however, projections are now for Asia Pacific to reach an IVA count in 2024 of 510-832 million, depending on which scenario plays out over that period.
Similar variations are apparent across the source market regions relevant to Asia Pacific, although in general, the trend is back towards the same inbound structure of 2024, at least under the medium scenario, PATA noted.
PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera said, “While a positive turning point is predicted to occur in 2022 for all the 39 Asia Pacific destinations covered in these updated forecasts, many market variables are currently influencing travel and significant challenges still lay ahead.
“While the momentum for international travel demand is obviously increasing, multiple challenges need to be navigated by the global travel and tourism sector.
“From emerging new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to escalating jet fuel prices, the spectre of rising inflation to the current geo-political conflicts, these variables are concerns in the face of global pent-up demand to reconnect and travel.
“Safety, wellness and smooth travel experiences are top of mind as needs for post-pandemic travellers. It’s important to provide clarity in processes and deliver good customer support in the face of ever-changing circumstances. Recognition should go to all the travel and tourism staff that are enabling efficient and great travel service delivery and experiences in the face of all these challenges. We need to respect and applaud their efforts as the backbone of the industry through these challenging times.”
The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024: 2Q Updates is now available at https://www.pata.org/research-q1v63g6n2dw/p/asia-pacific-visitor-forecasts-2022-2024-2q2022-updates.
