BANGKOK – The Pacific Asia Travel Association has warned that “2009 is shaping up to be one of the worst for many years for international arrivals into Asia Pacific destinationsâ€.
Kris Lim, associate director of PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC), said, “The full-year contraction in arrival numbers could be as much as five percent. This means the region could end the year with some 17 million fewer visitors this year as compared to the 377 million recorded in 2008. 


“We have lost two years of growth,†he added.
Figures released by PATA show that the numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific region grew by 0.7 percent year-on-year in September 2009.
However, growth in arrivals for the region is still down by five percent year-on-year for the first nine months of 2009.
Quoting IMF figures predicting the global economy will expand by three percent next year – and faster growth is expected for the Asia Pacific region at about double the global growth rate – Lim said prospects for 2010 appear promising.
“But it needs to be stressed that there is no quick fix for the travel and tourism industry. All stakeholders must continue to work together to lead the industry out of the crisis,†he said. 

One bright spot is Sri Lanka tourism where visitor numbers continue to improve, recording a 29 percent increase in arrivals for September 2009. 
 

