GreenBkk.com Tourism | Tourists using ATTA firms down 8.2%

Tourists using ATTA firms down 8.2%

By SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION
Published on February 15, 2011

The number of tourists using registered travel companies dropped 8.2 per cent in January compared with the same month last year. The Association of Thai Travel Agents reported that 243,971 international tourists used ATTA members last month, down from 252,234 in January 2010.

Key factors for the drop were political unrest and global natural problems.

The number was much lower than recorded in 1996 before the financial crisis that year, which was 270,946.

The top 10 markets for January were Russia, China, South Korea, India, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, France and Iran.

ATTA president Surapol Sritrakul said the number of tourists should rebound during the current quarter if there is no political tension. He added that the emerging tourist markets were China, India and the Middle East.

However, Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa last week said total arrivals were 1.7 million in January, the highest since last year's political crisis.

The ministry is confident in its projection for 17 million tourists this year because of some positive signs.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts that by 2014, international aviation will handle 3.3 billion air travellers, up by 800 million from the 2.5 billion in 2009, while cargo business will reach 38 million tonnes compared with 26 million tonnes carried in 2009.

At a meeting in Singapore yesterday, the association's consensus was that China would be the biggest contributor of new travellers. Of the 800 million new travellers expected in 2014, 360 million (45 per cent) will travel on Asia-Pacific routes, and of those, 214 million will be associated with China (181 million domestic and 33 million international).

The United States will remain the largest single-country market for domestic passengers (671 million) and international passengers (215 million).

"Despite some regional differences, the forecast indicates that the world will continue to become more mobile," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and chief executive officer. "This creates enormous opportunities but also presents some challenges.

"In five years we need to be able to handle 800 million more passengers and 12.5 million more tonnes of international cargo. To realise the economic-growth potential that this will bring, we will need even more efficient air-traffic management, airport facilities and security programmes. Industry and governments will be challenged to work together even more closely."

The fastest-growing markets for international passenger traffic will be China (increasing 10.8 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (10.2 per cent), Vietnam (10.2 per cent), Malaysia (10.1 per cent) and Sri Lanka (9.5 per cent).

By 2014, the top five countries for international travel measured by number of passengers will be the United States (at 215 million, an increase of 45 million), the United Kingdom (at 198 million with an increase of 33 million), Germany (at 163 million with an increase of 29 million), Spain (123 million with an increase of 21 million), and France (111 million with an increase of 21 million).

Credit: The Nation (www.nationmultimedia.com)