Invitation to share profit

Asia and the Pacific enjoyed exceptional performance in international tourism in 2016, recording a strong 9% increase in arrivals, far above the global average of 4% and Asia’s own growth the previous year (5%). There are many factors that explain the region’s solid results, but primarily it is the general economic strength of Asia and the Pacific that makes such expansion in travel possible. Asia recorded the fastest economic growth across world regions, largely driven by China and India, the top and third largest economies in Asia, respectively. Economic development has been a boost to tourism particularly through a vibrant and affluent middle-class that has sufficient disposable income to travel.

 Asia is the world’s largest region in economic output in US dollar terms, after its combined gross domestic product (GDP) reached USD 25.8 trillion in 2016, surpassing that of the Americas (USD 25.2 trillion) for the first time in the historical series.

 Asia and the Pacific is the second most visited region in the world after Europe and has been the fastest growth in recent years. In 2016 the region enjoyed a remarkable 9% increase in international arrivals, the highest across world regions, to reach 308 million international tourists;

 Between 2005 and 2016 Asia outperformed all world regions in terms of growth, with arrivals increasing an average 7% per year, compared to the world average of 4%. Including 2016, the region has seen seven straight years of consistently robust growth;

 Asia and the Pacific accounts for 30% of the world’s international tourism receipts, a share that has almost doubled since 2000 (from 17%);

 In 2016, international tourism receipts in Asia increased by 5% in real terms (in local currencies at constant prices), with particularly strong results in Oceania and South-East Asia (both +10%);

 Thailand is the top tourism earner in Asia and the Pacific with USD 50 billion earned in tourism receipts, after a 15% increase in 2016 and several other years of double-digit growth while China is the number two earner in Asia and number four in the world, with receipts totalling USD 44 billion, after a 5% increase in 2016.

Let’s share a pinch of it together which might account for millions of dollars per months.