ID :
54281
Tue, 04/07/2009 - 15:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/54281
The shortlink copeid
ASIANS TRAVEL MORE WITHIN ASIA AS DOWNTURN HARDENS
SINGAPORE, April 7 (Bernama) - As the global recession bites, Asian tourism is increasingly relying on tourists from within Asia, according to the latest ITB World Travel Trends Report.
However, it said the traditional tourism generating powerhouses of Japan and
South Korea were facing painful economic problems.
"Only China and India currently offer much hope," said the report which was
published today in Germany by Messe Berlin that organises ITB Asia, the trade
show for the Asian travel market in Singapore.
The report released here by ITB Asia, said even in these two emerging
markets, travellers had already reduced their trips and said they would reduce
more in 2009.
The report draws on results from the World Travel Monitor, a continuous and
representative survey interviewing 500,000 persons in 58 countries around the
world each year.
Meanwhile in another survey by credit card issuer Visa revealed that travel
was the top pursuit for nearly three-quarters of the over 4,000 high income Asia
Pacific households it interviewed.
In its recent survey on their spending patterns and perspectives, 73 percent
of respondents said travel was their top personal interest over the next two
years, well ahead of food (43 percent) and music (31 percent).
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they went away for weekends overseas
every six months or so.
The respondents were from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China,
Australia, India and Japan.
Visa Regional Head Consumer for Credit and Debit James Lim said the majority
of them still shared a common passion for travel, adding that "new sights, new
tastes and new sounds drive the personal interests of affluent people in Asia
Pacific."
The survey found respondents from Hong Kong (22 percent) and India (21
percent) were the region's most frequent travellers, and they were the most
likely to travel for a weekend holiday at least once a month.
The most popular destinations among the respondents were Japan (34 percent),
Australia (29 percent) and the United States (26 percent).
-- BERNAMA
However, it said the traditional tourism generating powerhouses of Japan and
South Korea were facing painful economic problems.
"Only China and India currently offer much hope," said the report which was
published today in Germany by Messe Berlin that organises ITB Asia, the trade
show for the Asian travel market in Singapore.
The report released here by ITB Asia, said even in these two emerging
markets, travellers had already reduced their trips and said they would reduce
more in 2009.
The report draws on results from the World Travel Monitor, a continuous and
representative survey interviewing 500,000 persons in 58 countries around the
world each year.
Meanwhile in another survey by credit card issuer Visa revealed that travel
was the top pursuit for nearly three-quarters of the over 4,000 high income Asia
Pacific households it interviewed.
In its recent survey on their spending patterns and perspectives, 73 percent
of respondents said travel was their top personal interest over the next two
years, well ahead of food (43 percent) and music (31 percent).
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they went away for weekends overseas
every six months or so.
The respondents were from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China,
Australia, India and Japan.
Visa Regional Head Consumer for Credit and Debit James Lim said the majority
of them still shared a common passion for travel, adding that "new sights, new
tastes and new sounds drive the personal interests of affluent people in Asia
Pacific."
The survey found respondents from Hong Kong (22 percent) and India (21
percent) were the region's most frequent travellers, and they were the most
likely to travel for a weekend holiday at least once a month.
The most popular destinations among the respondents were Japan (34 percent),
Australia (29 percent) and the United States (26 percent).
-- BERNAMA
