Thailand remains Top Destination in Asia Travel Intentions Survey
Read the results of the Asia Travel Intentions Survey 2007 sponsored by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a travel industry association that has existed since 1952.
Asia is the top destination region:
....of those intending international travel in the next two years, 52% were considering Asia as their next travel destination. This is a 9% increase on the previous year’s survey results and an 18% increase over the results in 2005...
Within Asia Thailand is the most popular destination:
Around two-thirds of those surveyed had already visited Asia, 47% of whom had been to Thailand. In fact, Thailand was again rated as the number one destination on travelers’ holiday lists, followed by Japan and China. Despite international media attention on Thailand’s civil unrest in the weeks before the survey was conducted, 50% or more of those interviewed in each of the 10 markets surveyed chose Thailand as their most likely holiday spot. Thailand’s reputation as a relaxing place where people can enjoy the local culture, natural beauty and friendly people continued to increase in the minds of those looking to travel to Asia.
Thailand is particularly popular with Swedish people:
One in five people listed Thailand it as their most likely destination with 84% of Swedish respondents the most likely to consider the country for a holiday over the next two years. Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Sri Lanka were the least likely holiday destinations for those who participated in the survey.
Terrorism and not coups is the main concern:
Barriers to visiting Asia: Safety when traveling is the key area of concern for most respondents. Nearly half (47%) of respondents identified terrorism as the top barrier to travel. The destinations most commonly identified as being affected by terrorism were Indonesia (50%), Sri Lanka (37%) and the Philippines (36%). Political unrest (39%) and government / media travel advisories (38%) were the other most significant concern. Notably, the 2004 Tsunami now appears to be only of minor significance with only 3% of respondents citing it as their greatest barrier to travel.
