PATA to release international visitor arrival report to members
THE Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will be releasing reports for international visitors arrival to 39 destinations, of which Solomon Islands is a member under.
PATA is looking at releasing a report in April concerning the international visitor’s arrival report to its 39 membership within the Asia Pacific region for the period of 2017 to 2021.
According to PATA, the report is important to note which the forecast relate to visitors arrivals as opposed to tourism (overnight visitors).
“This is done to consider the many near-border flows across the region that has a significant economic impact,” PATA said.
As PATA’s membership covers 101 government state and city tourism bodies which include Solomon Islands, they said not everyone Asia pacific destination is included, mainly because of data limitation and timing.
However, PATA said the destinations that are covered by these forecast account around 98 percent of the total inbound foreign arrivals into Asia Pacific destination.
In relation to the forecast’s development, the PATA said, the forecast unit of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) has been working for some time with PATA’s strategic intelligence centre to refine and further develop the forecast’s improving accuracy and reliability.
“It comes as no surprise therefore to note that over past years when forecast have been compared to actual arrival counts, the difference has been just one percent, the integrity and robustness aggregate level is extremely high,” PATA said.
PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy said, “The importance of the Asia Pacific region, both as a receiver and generator of international arrivals has been evident for some time and momentum certainly appears holding next five years.
“With the maturing for many Asia source market destinations beyond the Asia region are also being increasingly exposed.”
CEO Hardy said, these destinations however need to be ready to deliver a service that increasingly sophisticated Asia traveller has already experienced in Asia and is now seeking in destinations further.