According to UNWTO/GTERC Asia Tourism Trends 2018, international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific grew 6% in 2017 to reach 323 million, around a quarter of the world’s total.
This has had a large impact on Asian destinations’ tourism earnings, which have steadily increased from 17% of the world total in 2000 to 29% in 2017. This is equivalent to USD 390 billion in tourism receipts.
Asia and the Pacific plays a vital role as a source market as well, fuelling growth in both regional and long-haul destinations. The region produced 335 million international travellers, spending USD 502 billion in 2017, 37% of the world total.
Around 80% of Asia’s these visits were concentrated in Asia destinations. Outside the region, 56% of the long-haul trips were to Europe.
The last chapter of the report provides an insight into the Greater Bay Area of China, a project to create a large socio-economic zone and tourism area comprising the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as nine cities in Guangdong Province.
According to the report, the Greater Bay Area is China’s fastest-growing tourism region, as well as the Pearl River Delta, home to several cities with high tourism development including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Foshan.
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