The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched the new city tourism impact data, which shows that the world’s top ten fastest growing tourism cities are all in Asia. Asia Pacific City Travel & Tourism Impact is one of a series of reports by WTTC, which looks at the contribution of Travel & Tourism to city economies and job creation. The study covers 65 cities, 21 of which are in Asia Pacific. The data shows that Asian cities are at the forefront of tourism growth over the next ten years.

Chongqing (14% growth per year) heads the table, followed by Guangzhou (13.1%), Shanghai (12.8%) and Beijing (12%). The other cities on the top ten list are Chengdu (11.2%), Manila (10.9%), Delhi (10.8%), Shenzhen (10.7%), Kuala Lumpur (10.1%) and Jakarta (10%). With the world average growth rate at 4% per year, and Asia Pacific at 5.8%, these cities are significantly outpacing both the regional and global average. Asia Pacific also includes some of the world’s largest Travel & Tourism cities. Shanghai, with an annual tourism GDP contribution of US$30 billion is the largest in the world; followed by Beijing (US$29 billion). Tokyo (US$20 billion) is ranked 6th in the world.

Shanghai and Beijing together account for 21% of China’s Travel & Tourism economic impact (GDP), whereas Tokyo alone accounts for 18% of Japan’s total. The dominance of the Chinese market is clear, both in terms of future growth and overall size and as a main source market for destinations in the wider Asia Pacific region. The success of Chinese cities is largely driven by domestic business (as high as 94.5% of spend in Chongqing is domestic), and the Chinese outbound market is key for neighboring cities such as Tokyo (24% of spend is Chinese, the largest market) and Bangkok (38%).

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said “The power of Asian cities when it comes to driving the Travel & Tourism sector is clear to see in this new data. However, not only do these cities contribute significantly to their country’s tourism sector, tourism is an important generator of economic growth and jobs within the cities themselves. With this level of forecast growth, the importance of investment in long term planning, infrastructure and sustainable public policies cannot be underestimated. It is vital that city authorities understand the economic impact of Travel & Tourism, GDP and employment contribution, and not just visitor arrivals, as they seek to develop new products and opportunities to increase traveler spend and sustainable growth.

WTTC has invested in this new research and data to support them in this ambition. Other highlights from the report include: Singapore’s Travel & Tourism has doubled in the past ten years, to a total of US$12.4 billion in 2016 and supporting 164,000 jobs. Tourism in Bangkok generates US$18.2 billion for the city each year, representing 10% of the city’s economy and 50% of Thailand’s Travel & Tourism. Delhi and Mumbai together generate over 1 million tourism jobs, 10% of India’s total tourism employment. Macau is the most tourism intensive city in Asia Pacific with 27% of its economy a direct result of tourism spend. Eight cities in the study contribute more than 25% of their country’s Travel & Tourism economy: Auckland, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul and Sydney.

UNWTO, the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank will co-host a Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth on 27-29 November in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Under the theme ‘Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism’, the event will assess and discuss the future of the sector in the Caribbean, particularly in view of the impacts of natural disasters such as the recent hurricane Irma.

The summit aims at identifying successful models and future initiatives of public-private partnerships (PPPs) that will contribute to sustainable tourism development globally. It will also serve as a platform for leaders from the tourism sector, along with governments, donors and development and finance organizations, to put in place an international road map to promote inclusive economic and social development through tourism.

The Conference will commence with an introductory session on the future of tourism in the Caribbean region.

“Tourism has the potential to contribute to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, yet we can only achieve our common objectives if we build strong partnerships. The Jamaica Conference will be a milestone in setting a new framework for collaboration in the promotion of sustainable tourism and an important legacy of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017” said UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai.

Over 100 speakers will share their experience and knowledge during the three-day event.

The first day will cover themes such as:

– Tourism and Sustainability – Threats, Risks, Opportunities and Challenges

– Current Trends in Indigenous Tourism

– Talent Development and Human Capital Trends

– Community Tourism

– Tourism Networks: Creating Linkages, Reducing Leakages

– Science, Technology and Innovation in Tourism and

– Caribbean Tourism

On the second day, plenary sessions will guide the discussions. The first will focus on ‘Collaborating for Success – Public/Private Engagement Mechanisms for Tourism Development and Growth’, where ministers and CEOs will share their experiences on the keys, pitfalls and myths to successful collaboration between the public and private sector on tourism development. Collaboration and partnership models in such areas as infrastructure, development finance, large-scale asset management and service delivery will be addressed extensively.

The second round table will serve to facilitate exchanges by sector leaders on the emerging trends and predicted key drivers of destination development over the next ten years. Emphasis will be placed on how sustainable tourism partnerships can contribute to job creation, connectivity and inclusive growth.

The last day of the conference will look into the issues of:

– Technical Assistance and Financing,

– Donor Funded Programs that Balance Scale, Sustainability and Inclusion,

– Successful Models of Destination Management;

– Education, Training & Innovation and

– Cozumel – Partnerships in Action.

The Conference is organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ministry of Tourism of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank, in collaboration with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Chemonics International and the George Washington University.

Demand for international tourism remained strong during the Northern Hemisphere summer peak season. International tourist arrivals in July and August totalled over 300 million for the first time ever according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Many destinations reported double-digit growth, in particular in the Mediterranean.

Between January and August 2017, destinations worldwide welcomed 901 million international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors), 56 million more than in the same period of 2016. This corresponds to a robust 7% increase, well above the growth of previous years. With upbeat prospects for the remaining months of the year, 2017 is set to be the eighth consecutive year of continued solid growth for international tourism.

Results reflect the sustained growth in many destinations combined with the recovery of those suffering from security challenges in recent years.

By UNWTO regions, growth was strongest in Africa (+9%) and Europe (+8%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (+6%), the Middle East (+5%) and the Americas (+3%).

This strong performance is confirmed by experts from around the world surveyed for the UNWTO Confidence Index, who evaluated the May-August period very positively. Prospects for the last four months of 2017 remain also buoyant according to the experts consulted.

“Tourism is a major economic engine and employment generator, contributing to the improvement of livelihoods of millions of people around the world” stated UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai in London, ahead of the World Travel Market.

“As we draw to the end of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, we must reflect on how to manage tourism in a responsible and sustainable way beyond 2017. Maximizing the social and economic benefits of tourism while minimizing any negative impacts on host communities and the environment should remain at the forefront of our efforts in the years to come, with policy-makers, companies and travelers all contributing to this shared objective,” Mr. Rifai added.

Regional Results

In Europe (+8%), international arrivals rebounded in both Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+12%) and Western Europe (+7%) following a weak 2016. Arrivals grew by 6% in Northern Europe and by 4% in Central and Eastern Europe between January and August 2017.

Africa (+9%) recorded the fastest growth of all five regions, thanks to the strong rebound in North Africa (+15%) and the sound results of Sub-Saharan Africa (+5%).

South Asia (+10%) led growth in Asia and the Pacific (+6%), followed by South-East Asia (+8%) and Oceania (+7%), while results in North-East Asia (+3%) were rather mixed.

Most destinations in the Americas (+3%) continued to enjoy positive results, led by South America (+7%), followed by Central America and the Caribbean (both +4%). In North America (+2%), robust results in Mexico and Canada contrast with a decrease in the United States, the region’s largest destination.

Results in the Middle East (5%) are mixed, with some destinations strongly rebounding from negative growth in previous years, while others reported declines through August.

Strong outbound demand from major source markets, rebound from Russia and Brazil

Inbound visitor growth across world destinations was fuelled by strong outbound demand from the majority of source markets.

Among the top 10 markets, international tourism expenditure grew fastest in China (+19%), the Republic of Korea (+12%), the United States (+8%) and Canada (+7%). Expenditure from Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and Hong Kong (China) grew between 3% and 5%, while France reported a modest 1% increase.

Worth noting beyond the top 10 source markets is the significant recovery in demand from the Russian Federation (+27%) and Brazil (+35%) after a few years of declines in tourism expenditure abroad.

In one of the last actions before the official kick-off of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year, a conference and B2B matchmaking event are taking place in London on 2-3 November.

The World Bridge Tourism conference was brought together by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute and will engage with two headline discussions: new service trends for the changing demands of travellers to Europe and innovation and cooperation for China-Europe tourism.

Conference speakers include:

• Antonio Cenini, Task Force for the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year, European Commission
• Concetta Caravello, Chief External Relations, Welcome Chinese
• Tom Jenkins, CEO, ETOA – European tourism association
• Mikko Turtiainen, Vice President Global Sales, Finnair
• Tony Ong, Vice President and General Manager of Overseas Business Department, Hua Yuan International Travel Co. Ltd.
• Laurens van den Oever, CMO, ForwardKeys
• Di (Gordon) Shen, Account Manager, Qyer
• Jean-Marie Wodon, CEO, Zapptax
• Philip Dodd, CEO, Made in China
• Charles Bonaparte, Chairman, European Federation of Napoleonic Cities
• Zhenye (Luis) Lu, CEO, Go with Tommy

Amongst the anticipated five hundred conference delegates, one hundred represent Chinese tour operators who have been in Europe for the week hosted by national tourist boards on a series of familiarisation trips. Support from Welcome Chinese, Kairos and Finnair have also been indispensable in bringing this project to fruition.

Following the conference, a China market B2B matchmaking is currently taking place at the Intercontinental London the O2 on Friday 3 November, alongside ETOA’s Global European Marketplace. The World Bridge Tourism workshop will match one hundred Chinese tour operators with European tourism suppliers.

ETOA CEO, Tom Jenkins said: ‘China is an international tourism source market different from any other, both in terms of potential, structure and interest. The World Bridge Tourism project, aimed at supporting European SMEs in learning more about the Chinese market, also provides real business opportunities to all involved.’

The EU-funded project, World Bridge Tourism, lays the ground for a programme of B2B actions for the tourism industry during 2018; Partnerships in European Tourism, to be delivered by a consortium formed of ETOA – European tourism association, the European Travel Commission and ECTAA.