Arrivals to Asia and the Pacific up 5 per cent in Q1 of 2011: PATA

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) recently released preliminary figures for international visitor arrivals into Asia and the Pacific for the first quarter of 2011. The results show a year-on-year increase of five per cent. The sharp fall in arrivals to Japan following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, coupled with the decline in arrivals from the Middle East and North Africa, contributed to the subdued three per cent growth seen for the whole region in March. 

International visitor arrivals to South Asia grew by ten per cent in March 2011 and 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2011. All the leading destinations in the Indian-subcontinent – India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka – reported double-digit growth for the quarter.

Southeast Asia also had a strong quarter after recording growth of 10 per cent in arrivals for the month of March. The majority of the destinations in the sub-region reported strong positive results, particularly Myanmar (+30 per cent), Cambodia (+18 per cent) and Thailand (+14 per cent).

Northeast Asia on the other hand registered a sharply slower growth of three per cent for the quarter, depressed by the subdued one per cent growth in arrivals for the month of March. The devastating earthquake and tsunami hurt Japan’s inbound and outbound travel flows and neighbouring destinations including China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Korea (ROK) recorded subsequent declines in Japanese visitors for the quarter. 

International arrivals to the Pacific, hurt by a weak result in March (-3 per cent), still managed to record growth of three per cent in the first quarter of 2011. Increases in arrivals to the leading Pacific destinations of Australia and New Zealand, were flat and negative respectively. However, this was somewhat offset by positive growth recorded by each of Kiribati, Palau, Hawaii and New Caledonia.