Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), which is celebrating its 60th year, will host 60th Anniversary and Conference from April 9 to 12, 2011 at the China World Hotel, Beijing. The programme will focus on some of the biggest issues facing travel and tourism executives. High profile speakers from within and outside the industry will discuss topics including distribution challenges, changing demographics, responsible tourism, aviation and new technology.
According to the company release, the conference will also recall the contribution PATA has made over the past six decades, as well as look …

China’s Hainan Airlines, has launched direct flights between two southern Chinese cities and Sydney, as tourism authorities predict that China is on its way to becoming Australia’s biggest inbound tourism market, SBS’ Cassandra Hill reports.
The expected boost comes as some Queensland tourism operators say they are counting on the Oprah effect to counter cancellations and poor bookings, following the state’s flood crisis.
Hainan Airlines and Sydney Airport executives say that there is a strong demand from the booming economic centres of Shenzen and Hangzhou.
“Since Hainan Airlines launched its first flight between …

Asia Pacific is powering ahead as one of the most dynamic regions for world tourism in 2010. Outbound travel is increasing at double-digit rates and will end this year well ahead of 2008 levels, thus setting a new record, according to the newly-published ITB World Travel Trends Report from Messe Berlin. The prospects for further growth in 2011 are looking good.
New all-time high for outbound travel in 2010
Asia Pacific is demonstrating this year that it is one of the engines driving world tourism forwards. In 2009 there was a 9% …

THE Chinese are coming. By their millions. As tourists. And it will change our economy in ways that we cannot even imagine.
Tourism is already our third largest export industry behind only coal and iron ore. Almost six million people will visit this year. The industry employs more than half a million people.
In terms of numbers of visitors, China is already our fourth largest source of tourists, but in terms of their value to our economy, Chinese tourists rank second, just behind the UK. But that is based on only …

MACAO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) — The PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Travel Mart 2010 will unveil its curtain here Wednesday, which is expected to attract 1,000 delegates and guests.
The event will be held at the Venetian Macao resort from Wednesday to Friday. Prior to the event on Tuesday, PATA cooperated with the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University to organize a seminar, “Human Resources Challenges in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: Promoting Industry and Academic Collaboration”.
This is the first time for Macao to host this Asia …

The Visa and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Asia Pacific Travel Intentions Survey 2010 has found mainland Chinese travelers plan to travel most out of all Greater China travelers.
The Survey, which was conducted in May 2010 and interviewed 1,571 people in the Greater China region, found that on average, mainland Chinese travelers are planning for 7.4 business and leisure trips in the next two years, compared with the 5.6 and 4.5 trips anticipated by Hong Kong and Taiwanese travelers.
The results also show that Greater China travelers are less affected by …

The price of air tickets to Japan has been rising since May following media reports of an upcoming relaxation in Japan’s visa requirements for Chinese citizens, according to travel agencies in the city.
According to a marketing manager of Shanghai China Youth Travel Agency surnamed Liu, the price of air tickets from Shanghai to Tokyo has been pushed up by the surge in bookings. “A return trip is up by 1,000 yuan ($146) compared with the price in April,” he told the Global Times Saturday.
However, it appears that the media coverage …

Asia Pacific travelers stretch their travel budgets by shopping at duty free stores, according to a survey commissioned by Visa1.
The Visa Travel Smart Survey asked 2,226 travelers from across the Asia Pacific region on their travel spending habits and found that Korean and Chinese travelers spent the most on duty free items on their last trip with an average expenditure of US$358 and US$333 respectively. This was US$100 more than the regional average.
Brian McGrory, Regional Head, Debit Products, Visa, said: “Duty free shopping can offer great savings on international brands …

The Chinese online travel market will see slowed but continued growth in 2009 according to the PhoCusWright’s Asia Pacific Online Travel Overview. China’s position as a powerful emerging economy and home to 1.3 billion people with increasing access to wealth has made it a dynamic backdrop for travel growth and innovation. Online travel penetration in China will increase to 14% in 2009, up from 11% and will continue to grow in 2010. The total Chinese travel market, however, will contract in 2009, only slightly outperforming the total Asia Pacific region which …

While good news is at a premium, even in what has been such a robust region as Asia Pacific, hoteliers there generally seem steadfast and hopeful about potentially positive momentum by the end of 2009. After all, as in past downturns, pent-up business travel demand starts to build, emerging middle classes crave to satisfy their wanderlust and a region so vibrant for the last 20 years by all accounts still remains the best long-term opportunity for development anywhere in the world. As a result, domestic and global brands continue to …