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TRAVEL SENTIMENTS ACROSS ASIA
PACIFIC ARE ‘DOWN BUT NOT OUT’,
ACCORDING TO AN ABACUS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AGENT SURVEY
Singapore, 10 November 2008 – Those closest to Asia’s travelling
millions, the travel
agents are realistic but not downbeat about travel prospects for the
next six months, a survey by
leading travel facilitator Abacus International in conjunction with
Web in Travel has found.
Mr Robert Bailey, Abacus International President and CEO said that slightly
less than half of the
185 travel agents surveyed felt that travel bookings will fall in the
next six months and only 44%
felt that prospects for business travel will shrink.
“In the recent weeks, the travel industry is somewhat besieged
with pessimistic reports and
forecasts for the future. This survey from the ground shows that the
people who have the closest
and most direct contact with travellers do not see the next six months
of travel as all of gloom
and doom,” said Mr Robert Bailey.
Results from the survey also revealed 68% of the travel agents surveyed
felt that short getaways
in the region will be their strongest growing category while 12% felt
that long-haul travel to
U.S., Europe, and Middle East etc will take the lead in their bookings.
It was also found that travel agents felt that economic downturn (43%),
personal financial status
(30%) and fuel prices (27%) were the top three factors influencing travellers’
intention to travel
in the next six months.
“In addition, general sentiments are that the much-awaited fall
in fuel prices from the peak of
US$140 per barrel will unfortunately on its own not be a big enough
catalyst to boost travel in
the face of the current slowdown in global markets,” added Mr Robert
Bailey.
The survey also revealed that the three hottest destinations cited
for outbound growth were;
China (42%), Malaysia (31%) and Hong Kong (27%), confirming China’s
status as saving
grace for Asia’s travel market.
“There is no doubt that the travel industry is facing the repercussions
of the fallout in the
financial sector, however, this is the time when we must as an industry
work as one united entity
to rise above the current situation and try to find opportunities to
help every partner in the travel
chain.”
“And this can mean helping the traveller who wants to travel to
find the best value travel
options or getting the most efficient distribution solutions out to
help travel agencies meet their
operational needs,” said Abacus International President and CEO,
Mr Robert Bailey.
Around 185 travel agents from across the Asia Pacific were surveyed
on their sentiments for
travel for the next six months at the recent travel trade show, Web
in Travel.
About Abacus International
Singapore-based Abacus International is the Asia-Pacific's leading travel
facilitator with more
than 15,000 travel agency locations in 25 markets. With 20 years of
experience in fusing
international best practices and local expertise with global and local
partnerships, Abacus
provides travel information and reservations specifically tailored to
the Asia-Pacific region.
Abacus International is owned by Sabre and a consortium of Asia's leading
airlines including
All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Airways, Garuda
Indonesia,
Dragonair, Philippine Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines,
SilkAir and Singapore
Airlines. Sabre is the global leader in the electronic distribution
of travel and travel related
services.
More information on Abacus can be found at www.abacus.com.sg.
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