Despite economic turbulence worldwide, the Asia Pacific
tourism industry has received a welcome boost from data contained in
the Visa and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Asia Pacific
Travel Intentions Survey ‘Determining Travel Preferences in 2009 and
Beyond'1.

The survey found that of the
5,554 people surveyed, 36 percent said they did not expect to make any
changes to their travel plans in the near future while 64 percent of
respondents were reviewing their plans in the light of economic
uncertainty.

Among those respondents reviewing
their plans, 57 percent said they would still travel but would look for
cheaper alternatives while 38 percent said they would travel within
their own country instead. Only 36 percent said they would postpone
their travel as a result of economic uncertainty.

Meranda
Chan, Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei, and PATA Board
Director, said: "While the global economic situation will impact
tourism, it is unlikely to bring travel to a standstill. What our
survey has shown is that travelers will be more creative in their
selection of destinations."

Greg Duffell,
President and CEO – PATA said: "The travel and tourism industry is a
major employer in nearly every destination in Asia Pacific. Indeed, the
top two global markets for travel and tourism employment are China
(74.5 million jobs) and India (30.5 million jobs) with Japan,
Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand also in the top 10. We must never
understate the importance of working with the travel industry to shape
promotions and offerings that suit travelers' desires for new and
economically sensitive travel options – and it's vitally important that
the industry delivers innovative and creative solutions to keep these
people traveling."

Still traveling

Australians,
British, Singaporeans, Indians, French and Americans were less likely
than the average respondent to let economic concerns keep them from
travelling.

Those in Chinese Taipei, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China were more likely than the average to have their plans affected.

Travelers aged 45 and over were far more likely to keep their travel plans intact compared with those in younger age groups.

More
than half of the frequent travelers2 and high spend3 travelers surveyed
said their plans would not be affected by the economic downturn.

Revising plans

Of
those travelers who said their plans would be affected, less expensive
destinations or itineraries were more popular than average for those
from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Chinese Taipei and China. Downsizing
travel plans was also a popular option for frequent travelers surveyed,
with 70 percent saying that they would seek less expensive alternatives
such as a change in destination or itinerary.

Domestic
travel was an option being considered by 38 percent of respondents,
with more travelers from Japan, India, Chinese Taipei, the United
States and China opting for local holidays. Women were more likely than
men to select the domestic option; infrequent travelers were more
likely to take the domestic travel route.

Postponing travel

Travelers
surveyed who said they were planning to postpone travel in the near
future were more likely than average to be from China, Chinese Taipei,
the United States, Korea, India, Australia and Hong Kong. Men were also
more likely than women to hold off on travel plans altogether based on
economic uncertainties.

Chan said: "Considering
the timing of this survey – when fuel prices were high and the global
economy was already showing signs of a slowdown – the fact that
travelers from Asia Pacific's key source marketplaces were looking to
adapt by choosing less expensive holidays or traveling in their own
country should be a comfort to the regional tourism industry."

"While
things may have slowed down, this is the perfect time for travel
professionals to target neighboring marketplaces and key demographic
groups with attractive deals. The regional tourism industry can also
use this opportunity to drive domestic travel, spurring local economies
and helping to minimize the effects of the downturn in their domestic
economies."

About PATA

Founded in
1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is the recognised
authority on Asia Pacific travel and tourism. PATA is a membership
association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the
Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with private
and public sector members PATA enhances the sustainable growth, value
and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region. PATA
provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis
to nearly 100 government, state and city tourism bodies, 55
international airlines, airports and cruise lines, and many hundreds of
travel industry companies. Thousands of travel professionals belong to
more than 30 PATA chapters worldwide and participate in a wide range of
PATA and industry events. PATA is a not-for-profit organisation. For
more information, please visit www.pata.org.

About Visa:

Visa
operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network
providing processing services and payment product platforms. This
includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which
are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands.
Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is
one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in
local currency in more than 170 countries and territories.