The Asia-Pacific region already plays a huge role in the travel industry, for both inbound and outbound travel, and that trend shows no sign of abating, according to the MarketHub Asia 2025 recently held in Macao.
The event brought together industry leaders to discuss Asia Pacific’s tourism growth and the key trends. Among the speakers was PATA ceo Noor Ahmad Hamid, who said the Asia-Pacific region is expected to reach 4.3 billion people by 2030, accounting for half of the world’s population. In addition, 81% of this 4.3 billion will be middle-class, meaning two-thirds of the global middle-income segment will be in APAC. “This is why APAC is not just growing, it is the global growth engine of the travel industry,” Ahmad Hamid said. “Seven of the world’s top 20 fastest-growing economies in 2024 are in this region, making it a crucial market for investment and expansion.” It’s not just outbound travel either, PATA’s latest projections show that international visitor arrivals in Asia-Pacific are set to reach between 813 million and 947 million by 2027. Japan is the most popular APAC destination, though MarketHub Asia also noted Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka as emerging markets that are seeing significant growth. While tourism campaigns and improved airline connectivity have played a role in the rise of these destinations, so too has a desire from travellers seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences. Entertainment is also said to be shaping APAC travel, with Taylor Swift’s Singapore tour one example, attracting more than 500,000 travellers, as well as the K-pop phenomenon with one in 13 visitors in South Korea noting that as their primary motivation for travel.
