Survey: HK, mainland to lead Asia Pacific travel growth
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-08-28 17:35
SINGAPORE - Travellers from Hong Kong and Chinese mainland are expected to lead
steady tourist industry growth in the Asia Pacific region during the second half
of 2006, a regional survey has shown.
Credit card firm MasterCard said Hong Kong would lead the way, with an
estimated 3.25 million outbound travellers during the six months to December, up
15 percent from the previous year.
China is expected to see growth of 12.5 percent to nearly 19 million visitors
overseas, it said in its latest travel rerport.
Malaysia will also grow 12.5 percent but this includes people crossing the
land border daily into Singapore to work, a spokeswoman for MasterCard said.
"The continuing strength in the growth of outbound travel in the Asia Pacific
further reinforces our view that personal travel is being entrenched as an
integral part of the lifestyles of the expanding middle class in the region,"
said MasterCard economic advisor Yuwa Hedrick-Wong.
For personal travel, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States
and Japan are likely to benefit from Chinese tourists.
Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan are the likely beneficiaries from Chinese
business travellers.
An estimated 5.78 million South Koreans are expected to travel abroad in the
next six months, up 9.0 percent from last year, followed by Thailand with growth
of 6.7 percent and Indonesia at 6.0 percent.
Outbound Japanese travellers are forecast at 9.44 million, up 3.8
percent.
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