More Asians are heading abroad on holidays than ever before and new research, sponsored by the WTO, reveals the travel habits of seven Asia-Pacific countries that are rapidly becoming the driving force behind regional tourism.

"Asia has traditionally been known for its tourism destinations, but at the same time the number of Asians traveling abroad has soared," said UNWTO Regional Representative for Asia Xu Jing. "Our analysis shows that Asia's outbound growth rates and travel potential far exceed that of other economic blocs, such as Europe or the Americas."

The new research – conducted in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and Thailand – is contained in a series of seven publications called "The Asia & Pacific Intra-Regional Outbound Series" that will be available for purchase from the UNWTO.

"Our research shows that 78% of all international tourists in Asia come from another Asian country, yet it is the first time that UNWTO has studied these emerging markets from a regional perspective," said Mr. Xu. All researchers involved in the comprehensive project came from the countries that they analyse.

Highlights of the 1000-page research were presented during UNWTO Regional Commission meetings in Macau on Tuesday by Dr. Chris Cooper, professor at the University of Queensland in Australia and chairman of the UNWTO Education Council.

Dr. Cooper recommended that destinations use the information contained in the seven volumes to better match their tourism products to the top reasons that Asians travel, among them: health and wellness, city breaks, shopping and visiting TV and film locations. Other highlights include:

Australia

• Australians made an estimated 4.8 million overseas trips in 2005
• 35% of Australian international travellers chose a destination in Asia
• Top five Australian destinations in Asia-Pacific are: New Zealand, Indonesia, Fiji, Thailand, and Hong Kong
• Most travellers go abroad without children and holiday trips average 30 days

China

• Chinese made 31 million international trips in 2005
• 91% of Chinese international travellers chose a destination in Asia
• Chinese get much of their travel information on internet
• Group travel is losing popularity and independent travel is gaining

          
Hong Kong

• Hong Kong residents took 74.4 million trips outside of the SAR in 2005
• 3.5 million trips were made to destinations other than China, Macau or Taiwan
• The top destinations are: Thailand, Japan, and Singapore
• Only 22% of Hong Kong residents travel internationally each year

India

• Indians made 6.1 million trips abroad in 2004
• Indians like to visit several countries on each trip
• Shopping is the favourite activity of Indian tourists
• On average, Indian tourists spend more per day than other nationalities

Japan

• 16.5 million Japanese travelled abroad in 2005
• More than 60% of Japanese trips to Asia last less than one week
• "Gourmet Sampling" is the top activity of Japanese tourists in Asia
• Women in their 30s and in their 50s/60s lead the market

Republic of Korea

• 10 million trips abroad were made by Koreans in 2005
• 52% of Koreans took at least 4 international trips
• Top five Korean destinations in Asia-Pacific are: China, Japan, Thailand, Philippines and Hong Kong
• Nature and local cultures are what attract Korean travellers

Thailand

• 2.7 million trips abroad were made by Thais in 2004
• 85% of tourism spending takes place in the Asia-Pacific region
• Most trips are one-week long and to a single destination
• Top five destinations of Thai travellers are: Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Japan

Recommendations based on the seven studies show that destinations wishing to increase their share of these emerging markets should translate their promotional materials and differentiate their marketing activities according to the particularities of each country.

It is also suggested that Asia countries would do well to pay less attention to attracting tourists from long-haul markets in Europe and the Americas and pay more attention to bringing in tourists who live closer to home.

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