International
Visitor Arrivals into Asia Pacific destinations during May 2012
showed a collective gain of 3% year-on-year according to preliminary
results released today by the Pacific Asia
Travel Association
(PATA). This was the second consecutive month with a
declining growth rate and heralds the impact of the various economic
contagions across the globe. For the first five months of 2012, the
average growth in international visitor arrivals into Asia Pacific
destinations was 6% up year-on-year.
North
America is
showing a similar but more volatile growth pattern.
After registering a
solid 12% increase in foreign arrivals during March, the growth trend
reduced to just 0.5% in April and then contracted by1% in May 2012.
Canada and the USA managed to sustain positive growth of 2% and 1%
respectively during the month but a contraction in international
arrivals into Mexico for both April and May (-6% each month) has
affected the overall sub-regional performance. A slowing of
intra-regional travel demand was the major negative factor along with
a 4% drop in UK arrivals.
Growth
to Northeast
Asia was
also somewhat slower with a 4% increase, year-on-year. A general
softening of foreign travel flows and falling demand between China
and its two SARs continued to constrain overall growth in arrivals to
China (-2%) and Macau SAR (-7%) during the month of May. Arrivals to
Chinese Taipei (+27%), Hong Kong SAR (+13%) and Korea (ROK) (+27%)
were however robust and well supported by a rebound in arrivals from
Japan and the resilient Chinese market.
Japan had an exceptional result (+87%) but has yet to reach the
pre-crisis level of international arrivals, although that is likely
to happen within the next few months.
Foreign
arrivals to South
Asia grew
by a moderate 6% during the month. Despite a weak result from the
Maldives (-1%) and a relatively slower month for Nepal (+9%), the
overall trend for the sub-region still showed some promise compared
to the previous month. India was up 5% during May 2012 while Sri
Lanka managed a double-digit growth in arrivals (+18%). This upward
trend seems to be continuing as early results for June suggest
another lift in the arrivals growth rate.
Even
under these trying conditions, Southeast
Asia still
managed solid growth of 8% during the month to become the fastest
growing destination in Asia Pacific. Even so the growth trend is
still downward, falling from a high of 15% in March to 9% in April
and 8% in May. There are positives however. The Philippines showed a
slower but still significant increase of 6% after four consecutive
months of double-digit growth. Similarly Cambodia (+23%), Indonesia
(+8%), Singapore (+14%) and Thailand (+8%) performed well above the
sub-region’s average, while Myanmar in particular was very strong
performer recording a 53% gain in foreign arrivals during May 2012.
Vietnam however posted negative growth (-13%) for the month, the
first time this has happened since September 2011.
The
relatively strong performance of the
Pacific in
recent months, continued through May. After closing a year of
stagnant growth in 2011, the upward trend kicked off in January and
maintained momentum since March. Although travel demand remains
volatile, the short-term outlook seems very promising. During May
2012, foreign arrivals to the Pacific grew 8% year-on-year, driven
largely by the robust growth in foreign arrivals to Guam (+17%) and
Hawaii (+12%). Most of the smaller island destinations
in the Pacific also reported positive growth led by Samoa (+30%), the
Northern Marianas (+20%) and Tahiti (+8%). The larger dominant
destinations of Australia (+2%) and New Zealand (+0%), recorded
another month of relatively slower growth or stagnation.
Commenting
on the latest PATA tourism statistics, Martin J Craigs, PATA CEO,
said: “While there is significant variation in the results at the
sub-regional and destination levels, the majority of Asia Pacific
economies still reported growth during the month of May 2012. It is
evident, however, that the toughening global marketplace is having an
impact on the Asia Pacific region. None of us can be afford to be
complacent as we reach the midway point of calendar year 2012.”
