The Knowledge to Decide

Right now, five out of the world’s top 10 travel destinations are cities in the Asia Pacific. But it is widely acknowledged that the region punches well below its weight in tourism, which is why there is plenty of room for growth. How will Asia’s tourism industry evolve? Travel sector looks upbeat for Asia-Pacific region? According to a study conducted in 2013, the year was good for international tourism and strongest for destinations in the Asia Pacific region – Asia saw six per cent growth. Moreover, the number of international tourists increased by 14 million to reach 248 million. South-East Asia (as a sub-region of the Asia-Pacific) registered a 10 per cent increase. China emerged with a record number of international tourist arrivals in 2013, at 55.69 million. Asia’s tourism industry employs 65 million people and supports one in 12 jobs – exceeding industries such as financial services. Needless to say, this growth also led to the generation of 1 million new jobs a

India’s aviation industry is set for rapid growth. With an estimated 60 million international passengers by 2017, it boasts of hosting 85 international airlines across 40 countries (as of 2016). The transformation did not happen overnight – it was 20 years in the making. India’s civil aviation market is currently the ninth largest in the world. Growth factors responsible include the rising middle-income population, successful completion of five international airports under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, increased liberalization with the introduction of the Open Sky Policy in 2015 as well as the modernization of India’s Air and Navigation Systems. However, with more low-cost airlines entering India’s market since the liberation of policies in 1994, the competition is bound to heat up. Moreover, the sector is vulnerable to security threats such as terrorism. The government needs to implement policies to ensure the safety of our skies as well as offer competit