UNWTO has once again partnered with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to guide the development of tourism across the region. For its 17th edition, the 2023 UNWTO-PATA Forum (Guilin, China, 26-27 October) put the focus on maximizing the sector's ability to drive growth, build economic resilience and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Forum is the consolidated leading platform for policymakers, business leaders and a range of tourism stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific. People, Planet and Prosperity With co-organizers the Guilin Municipal People's Government and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's Department of Culture and Tourism, as well as with Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Forum explored the best ways of introducing greater sustainability int...
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the Asia-Pacific region to prepare for the anticipated surge in traffic and provide policy support for the industry’s decarbonization efforts, as the region moves forward from COVID-19. “The last three years have been extremely challenging for the airline industry. Asian airlines, in particular, were hit hard, accounting for about a third of the industry’s losses between 2020 and this year. With the region finally emerging from COVID-19, governments have a key role to play in accelerating the recovery, and supporting the industry’s sustainable growth,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Senior Vice President and Deputy Director General. FILE PHOTO: Singapore Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore November 1...
Read MoreTourism leaders from across Asia and the Pacific have placed building resilience and embracing innovation at the heart of the sector’s restart and sustainable future. The 34th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (34th CAP-CSA), was held as destinations across the region begin welcoming back international tourists. The region was hit first and hit hardest by the pandemic’s impact on tourism as many countries maintained strict restrictions on travel. Now, as UNWTO data confirms a 64% increase in international arrivals in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2021, the high-level meeting of sector leaders identified the key challenges and opportunities ahead. UNWTO’s Work in the Region UNWTO Secretary-General Zu...
Read MoreThe annual UNWTO Executive Training Programme returned to focus on harnessing the power of domestic tourism to drive recovery and growth in destinations across Asia and the Pacific. Now in its 15th year, the Training Programme once again served as the leading platform for the region’s tourism leaders to network and develop strategies for guiding the sector forward. The event brought together representatives of 25 countries, with six (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Nepal) joining hosts the Maldives to attend the training sessions in person. High-level political welcome The Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, officially opened the Training Session, welcoming delegates taking part in person and online. Further highlighting the host c...
Read MoreTourism leaders from across Asia and the Pacific have met to plan the sector’s restart and recovery even as borders remain closed throughout the region. The 33rd Joint meeting of the World Tourism Organization’s Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and its Commission for South Asia (14 September 2021) came on the back of a challenging year for the region. The first to feel the impacts of the pandemic, the tourism sector of Asia and the Pacific has also been the hardest hit, recording a 95% fall in international arrivals in the first five months of 2021. Coordinated restart and recovery With UNWTO data also showing that this region continues to have the largest proportion of destinations closed to tourists, the Member States taking part in the virtual meetings focused on t...
Read MoreEven though major economies across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) started negotiating travel bubble pacts with their key source countries to revive the tourism sector, recovery to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels may take time even after all restrictions are withdrawn, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. International tourist arrivals in the APAC region declined by more than 75% in the first eight months of 2020. Hong Kong reported a loss of more than 90% international visitors in the same period, followed by Japan, South Korea, Macau with more than 80%, and Singapore and Thailand by 79% and 75%, respectively. China, where the COVID-19 was first reported, reported the highest reduction in inbound visitors of 87% in Q1 2020. Aditi Dutta Chowdhury, Economic Research Analys...
Read MoreThe global travel and tourism industry is among the worst hit due to COVID-19 pandemic and deal activity in the sector is muted. Japan too is not an exception, though the country seems to be keen on reviving the industry by introducing new initiatives. However, with the resurgence of new COVID-19 cases and mixed response amid criticism and concerns over second wave of infections, deal making sentiment is expected to remain subdued for some more months, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. An analysis of GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database reveals that the number of deals announced in the Japanese travel and tourism industry decreased by more than 50% in Q2 2020 compared to Q1. In a bid to revive COVID-19 battered domestic tourism industry, Japan rolled out a travel ...
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