The latest research from Visa and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) revealed optimism returning among travellers, as few people worry about the affect of economic uncertainty on their travel plans. Compared to last year’s survey, 16 per cent few respondents in the Visa and PATA Asia Pacific Travel Intentions Survey 2010 said that economic uncertainty would affect their travel plans over the next 12 months

In 2009, 64 per cent of respondents said that they would postpone their trip, travel domestically or look at less expensive destinations as they worried about how they would be affected by economic uncertainty. This year, only 48 per cent of the respondents surveyed felt the same. This optimism to resume travel was felt most strongly in Japan. Last year’s survey saw 78 per cent of Japanese respondents changing their travel plans due to economic uncertainty. This year that sentiment has dropped to only 45 per cent.

Other Key Findings

• Travel Frequency: In a further boost to the Asia Pacific tourism industry, the survey also found that people intended to take at least four international trips and three domestic trips over the next 24 months.

• Mainland Chinese are Most Frequent Travellers: In line with PATA projections that China will be the single largest source of outbound tourism in the Asia Pacific region by 2012, respondents from Mainland China indicated the strongest appetite for travel – both international and domestic. In the next two years, they plan to travel on average at least seven times. Singaporean respondents were the next most frequent travellers with at least six trips planned over the next two years.

• Domestic Holidays Most Popular with Mainland Chinese: Those in Asia Pacific planning the highest number of domestic holidays were from Mainland China (average of close to five trips over the next two years), followed by respondents from Malaysia, New Zealand and India (average of four trips over the next two years).

• Travel Spend Up: Overall, survey respondents were planning to spend more on their next overseas trip (up USD116 to USD1, 644 on average per trip).

Ross Jackson, Head of Cross-Border Business, Asia Pacific, Visa said, “One of the things we knew from last year’s survey was that travel plans were being scaled back or postponed. This year, the improvement in consumer optimism is sure to be welcome news for all tourism operators as they look to attract people keen to see more of the Asia Pacific region.”