PATA forecasts strong visitor growth in Asia-Pacific through 2027
PATA has released the latest Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts for 2025-2027, providing in-depth insights into tourism recovery trends across the region.
This comprehensive report, prepared in collaboration with the Hospitality and Tourism Research Centre of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, presents forecasts for 39 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region across mild, medium, and severe scenarios, offering critical insights for stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry.
The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2025-2027 highlights international visitor arrivals (IVAs) are expected to reach 813.7 million by 2027, up from 648.1 million in 2024, indicating steady growth. Recovery is being fuelled by easier visa processes, more airline routes, and improved infrastructure. Initiatives like China’s visa-free transit expansion and Thailand’s Six Countries, One Destination project are helping boost visitor numbers.
China is set to regain its spot as the top inbound destination, with the US, Türkiye, and Hong Kong also performing well. Mongolia, Türkiye, Sri Lanka, and Japan are expected to see the fastest recovery, surpassing pre-pandemic visitor numbers. China will remain the largest source market, followed by the US, Hong Kong, South Korea, and India, with growing middle classes in India and South-east Asia driving more outbound travel.
The region’s tourism will also be shaped by economic shifts, geopolitics, and technological advancements, with digital transformation, sustainable tourism, and new infrastructure enhancing the travel experience.
As global travel continues its strong recovery, the Asia-Pacific region remains a key driver of growth. This latest forecast highlights the dynamic shifts in visitor flows, policy interventions, and infrastructure improvements that will shape the region’s tourism landscape over the next three years. By understanding these evolving trends, destinations can better position themselves for sustainable growth and resilience. As we move forward, the industry must remain agile and adaptive to shifting market dynamics. The insights from the PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2025-2027 will be invaluable for policymakers, businesses, and destination marketers aiming to capitalise on emerging opportunities. PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid.
About PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to advancing a meaningful Pacific Asia tourism economy. Guided by its mission to share knowledge, enable networking, and protect tourism economy assets through innovation, collaboration, and adaptability, PATA brings together governments, industry leaders, academia, and communities to drive positive, lasting change. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Bangkok, the Association also has an official office in Beijing. Visit www.PATA.org.