Growth forecast for tourism in Pacific [1]
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 17:30
The South Pacific Tourism Organisation expects there will be a sustained 3.3% on average tourism growth in the Pacific region for 2019-2024.
The SPTO inaugural Pacific Tourism Forecast released for 2019-2024, noted a two percent growth of international visitor arrivals into 18 countries in the Pacific last year - a total of 2.14 million visitors, which is 38,941 more than the 2.10 million arrivals recorded for the same period in 2017.
The forecast attributed the growth of the regional tourism sector to a positive global tourism trend, continued regional and national tourism marketing and improved connectivity.
Infrastructure development and increasing travellers demand to the region were also noted as significant contributing factors.
Highlights of the Pacific Tourism Forecast included
- By the end of 2019, with the inclusion of SPTOs two new member countries, Rapa Nui and Wallis & Futuna, it is forecasted that about 2.2 million international air visitor arrivals will be received across these Pacific Island destinations, at an annual growth rate of around 6.6% from 2018.
- Tourism receipts (air arrivals) are forecasted to increase to an estimated US$4.2 billion in 2019 from US$ 4.0 billion in 2018.
- Arrival growth may vary across each of the Pacific Island countries, ranging from 0.5% to 6.0 %, reflecting the national countries tourism initiatives and development scale.
- Total air and cruise visitor arrivals to the region are forecasted to reach 3.2 million in 2019.
- Arrivals from major source markets are forecast to remain strong in 2019 for New Zealand, the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Europe and the emerging Asian markets. The intra-Pacific regional flows are also forecasted to remain steady at 5% for the period.
- By Pacific groupings, the Melanesian destinations accounted for 58.6% share of the total tourist arrivals (air) in 2018. This is forecasted to increase by 3.5% to 1.3 million in 2019.
- Over the short to medium term, visitor arrivals (air) to the PICs are forecasted to grow by an average of 3.3% and expected to reach 2.7 million in 2024.
Risks that may affect the forecast include, but are not limited to a slowdown in global economic or market conditions, the ongoing US and China trade war, increase in fuel prices, natural disasters and political instability.
Tonga is a member of SPTO.