New Report Highlights Potential of South-East Asian Outbound Tourism

Over the past decades, Asia and the Pacific has consolidated its position not only as one of the major tourism destination regions, but also as an increasingly important outbound market.

Asia accounts for 14 of the world´s top 50 source markets in terms of international expenditure.

‘Key Outbound Tourism Markets in South-East Asia’, a new joint report by UNWTO and Tourism Australia, provides an up-to-date perspective on major tourism trends and developments in five key South-East Asian outbound markets: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

In 2012, these five countries accounted for US$ 49 billion in international tourism expenditure, almost doubling up from US$ 25 billion in 2006. The increasing size of the prospering middle class in South-East Asia is a crucial factor behind the growth in travel out of Asian markets.

“According to UNWTO’s long-term outlook in Tourism Towards 2030, the number of international tourist arrivals generated by source markets in Asia and the Pacific is expected to more than double from 205 million in 2010 to 541 million in 2030.UNWTO is very pleased to have partnered with Tourism Australia in producing this report that sheds new light on the travel trends of some of these countries and thus empowers destinations in Asia and beyond to be more competitive when approaching these fast growing source markets,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said the study would help the Australian tourism industry to better understand, communicate with, and serve these five, key emerging outbound markets. “Each market is different, but they all possess significant potential, which we need to understand to really make the most of this Asian Century,” Mr McEvoy noted.

In addition to economic and demographic factors, the region’s expansion has also been boosted by developments at the technological and supply-side levels. This includes a boom in air travel, driven largely by the emergence and expansion of low-cost carriers, and the growing access to the internet.