Asia-Pacific 'a powerhouse of global tourism'

The Asia-Pacific region has been described as 'a powerhouse' of global tourism on the back of figures showing that countries in this part of the world experienced a collective increase in visitor numbers in July.

International arrivals rose by 7% year-on-year during the month, while the first seven months of 2011 saw inbound tourism grow by 5% in the region.

Sri Lanka and the Maldives experienced increases of 32% and 27% respectively in July, contributing to the strong performance of south Asia, while India and Nepal also hosted more visitors.

In south-east Asia, Thailand welcomed 19% more international travellers in July 2011 than in the same month last year.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) also recorded growth in Hong Kong (22%), Macau (18%), the Cook Islands (13%) and many other destinations.

John Koldowski, director of the association's Strategic Intelligence Centre, said: 'Even during times of economic uncertainty, the Asia-Pacific region continues to perform strongly, reinforcing its image and position as a powerhouse of international travel and tourism.'

Source - opodo.co.uk