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BE IMMERSED IN A UNIQUE AND WELCOMING DESTINATION For booking enquiries, please email [email protected] 1 Farrer Park Station Road, Singapore 217562 T (+65) 6363 0101 E [email protected] W onefarrer.com ASIAN TOURISM EXPERT GUIDE 2019/2020 Contents 02 Foreword 04 Australia 07 Hong Kong 09 India 10 Indonesia 13 Japan 15 Malaysia 18 Maldives 20 Philippines 23 Singapore 26 South Korea 27 Sri Lanka 28 Thailand 1 ASIAN TOURISM EXPERT GUIDE 2019/2020 Foreword Dear Travel Trade Partners, The year 2019 has flown right by in a blink of an eye, with many developments in the economic and political space leaving indelible marks on the travel and tourism industry’s performance report. While an increasingly VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) environment makes it difficult to have a clear business projection, travel and tourism professionals must bear in mind that Asia’s economic prospects remain bright on the back of growing affluence of its people and a young demographic that is hungry for knowledge, global experience, new technology and the latest products and services. And with all that, travel and tourism can continue to grow. To see the future, one must understand the past. And so, our team of editors and reporters have once again produced this Asian Tourism Expert Guide, now in its 12th edition, to provide a snapshot of 2019 travel and tourism performance as well as developments that are worth watching in the new year. This annual guide has, for the past decade, helped our travel trade readers in their programming and business plans, and we hope it will be the same for you. Happy reading! Warmest regards Darren Ng Managing Director TTG Asia Media EDITORIAL SALES & MARKETING PUBLISHING SERVICES ADVERTISEMENT Taiwan Virginia Lee/Kitty Luh Karen Yue Pierre Quek Jonathan Wan REPRESENTATIVES Spacemark Media Services Group Editor Publisher and Head Head, Operational Italy Remo Vangelista Tel: (886-2) 2751 6007 ([email protected]) Integrated Solutions Support Services Tel: (39-02) 806892 Fax: (886-2) 2751 6105 S Puvaneswary ([email protected]) Kun Swee Qi Email: [email protected]; Email: [email protected]; Editor, Malaysia/Brunei Chimmy Tsui Publishing Services Executive Japan Michiko Kawano Thailand Anchana Nararidh ([email protected]) Publisher and Head Integrated Nur Hazirah Web Executive Pacific Business Inc. Absolute Communications Co., Ltd. Mimi Hudoyo Solutions (China) Katherine Leong Tel: (81-3) 3661 6138 Tel: (66-2) 258 4423-25 Editor, Indonesia ([email protected]) Circulation Executive Fax: (81-3) 3661 6139 Mobile: (66-89) 111 2334 ([email protected]) Ar-lene Lee Email: Fax: (66-2) 258 4426 Kenneth Goh Senior Business Manager TTG ASIA MEDIA michiko.kawano@pacific- Email: [email protected]; Assistant Editor, TTG Content Lab ([email protected]) Darren Ng business.com United Kingdom Matt ([email protected]) Jonathan Yap Managing Director South Korea SS Song Roclawski,TTG Media Pamela Chow Senior Business Manager ([email protected]) First Media Services Corp. Tel: (44-20) 3714 4102 Reporter, Singapore ([email protected]) Tel: (82-2) 363 3591 Email: [email protected] ([email protected]) Shirley Tan OFFICES Mobile: (82) 10 5234 3590 Rachel AJ Lee Senior Business Manager SINGAPORE Fax: (82-2) 738 7970 Sub Editor ([email protected]) 1 Science Park Road #04-07 Email: [email protected]; ([email protected]) Jade Ye The Capricorn Spain Luis Andrade/ Asian Tourism Expert Guide 2019/2020 is published by Cheryl Ong Marketing Executive Singapore Science Park II, Lucia Andrade TTG Travel Trade Publishing, Sub Editor ([email protected]) Singapore 117528 Luis Andrade International Media a business group of TTG Asia ([email protected]) Delia Ng Tel: (65) 6395 7575 Mobile: (34-659) 181252 Media Pte Ltd. It is mailed free Redmond Sia, Goh Meng Yong Digital Marketing Strategist Fax: (65) 6536 0896 Mobile: (34-650) 360726 on written request to readers Creative Designers ([email protected]) Email: [email protected]; Email: who meet predetermined criteria. Lina Tan Editorial Assistant Cheryl Lim www.ttgasia.com [email protected] Paid subscriptions are available Advertisement [email protected]; to those who do not meet the criteria. CONTRIBUTORS Administration Manager HONG KONG Sri Lanka Vijitha Yapa Adelaine Ng, Marissa ([email protected]) 8/F, E168, 166-168 Des Voeux Vijitha Yapa Associates MCI(P)039/10/2019 Carruthers, Rosa Ocampo, Carol Cheng Road Central, Sheung Wan, Tel: (94-11) 255 6600 PPS1887/02/2017 (025621) Prudence Lui, Rohit Kaul, Manager Administration Hong Kong Mobile: (94) 777 317400 Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd. Anne Somanas and and Marketing Tel: (852) 2237 7288, Fax: (94-11) 259 4717 All images courtesy of TTG Asia Feizal Samath ([email protected]) Fax: (852) 2237 7227 Email: [email protected]; Media unless otherwise credited. 2 YOUR INDONESIAN HOME MOUNT MERAPI - CENTRAL JAVA DOWNLOAD NOW ASIAN TOURISM EXPERT GUIDE 2019/2020 Australia by Adelaine Ng nternational visitor arrivals to India saw the strongest growth Australia reached a record 9.3 over the past three years with visi- Imillion for the year ending June tor numbers increasing 53 per cent Take a drive through Francois 2019, up three per cent compared to 350,000, and spend 68 per cent Peron National Park, a national to the previous year. to A$1.8 billion over this period. park in Western Australia Tourist spending also reached India has been the strongest a record A$44.6 billion (US$30.6 performing market over the last 10 billion). But while growth continues years, growing by 13 per cent on to be led by education and holiday average each year and more than travel, the average length of trips tripling in size. fell by six nights over the last six Business events remains a years to 32 nights, although spend strong performing sector with one per night increased by 26 per cent. million arrivals spending A$5 billion There were mixed results for for the year to June 2019. But the Australia’s top markets from Asia- rate of growth is moderating nota- Pacific over the year. Growth was bly from China and the UK, which impressive for the Japanese mar- have seen declines in the past year. ket, with visitors up nine per cent to On October 31, 2019, Tourism 445,000, and spend up 16 per cent, Australia unveiled a new three-year reaching A$2 billion. Led by those global campaign entitled Come visiting for education, spend for Live Our Philausophy. This latest the China market grew six per cent global strategy is part of an A$38 to A$11.9 billion. However, visitor million investment that will be numbers were up just one per cent rolled out in 15 key tourism mar- to 1.3 million. kets over the next three years. 4 ASIAN TOURISM EXPERT GUIDE 2019/2020 FOUR KEY DEVELOPMENTS 1 NSW’s budget slashed 4 Perth rises up The tourism budget for the state of Perth is expected to see a significant New South Wales was cut by about boost in visitors continuing into 2020 20 per cent to A$141.1 million next with ongoing new hotel development financial year. It disadvantages the des- and direct air services. Hotel projects tination in an increasingly competitive worth A$1.5 billion have been approved market for both domestic and interna- in Western Australia, plus A$3.7 billion for tional tourists. Critics say the decision aviation infrastructure and arts, recreation will impact business events attraction and business. Latest results show Perth at a time when several hotels, stadiums grew 7.9 per cent in spend and 12.3 per and facilities are being built. cent in visitation to the year ending June 2019. 2 More Chinese groups wanted In February, the Australian government announced A$11 million in funding to attract more Chinese tour group tourists as part of China’s Approved Destination Scheme. The scheme facili- tates some 2.5 million Chinese tourists travelling to Australia in approved guided groups with a special ADS visa. The move boosts Tourism Australia’s efforts to market directly to Chinese consumers. 3 Vital tourism improvements In April, the government announced A$50 million in funding over three years for a National Tourism Icons Program. The programme supports new tourism infrastructure and upgrades to drive tourism growth, particularly in regional areas. New attractions are considered critical to winning new and repeat visi- From top: Elephant Rocks in Denmark, Western Australia; Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of tors to Australia. Australia’s most easily recognisable landmarks OUTLOOK Phillipa Harrison Matt Cameron-Smith Margy Osmond Managing director, Managing director, CEO, Tourism Australia AAT Kings Tourism and Transport Forum Australia “After a number of years of strong “Lonely Planet named Margaret River growth, we are starting to see a & Southern Western Australia as the “The future for Australian inbound slowdown in the pace of growth number one place to visit in Asia- tourism is bright. If global economic despite another year of record visita- Pacific. These rankings certainly get conditions remain favourable and tion and spend (June 2019 year-end).