The Executive Board of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has released its forecasts of tourism demand across Asia Pacific region for the next three years. At the aggregate level, international arrival numbers are predicted to increase by an average of around +2.7 per cent each year to 2012. However, these forecasts show a significant slowing in growth rates from the pre-financial crisis level of seven per cent per annum.

According to Phornsiri Manoharn, Chairman, PATA said that the three-year projections are much in line with expectations on how the global economy is expected to perform generally. Overall international arrivals growth to Asia Pacific destinations, for example, are predicted to be marginal at over one per cent in 2010, rising to around 4.5 per cent in 2011 and then stabilising at around four per cent in 2012. These forecasts are subject to any further major economic, social or health disasters. On a sub-regional grouping basis, South Asia is forecast to grow the fastest at an average rate of +4.9 per cent per annum over the period to 2012, followed by Southeast Asia at +4.8 per cent.