Regional Tourism Arrivals to the Region up 18.4% in the Second Quarter of the year

Tourist arrivals in the Pacific ACP and SPTO member countries increased by 18.4% in the second quarter of this year when compared to the first quarter. This increase is in line with the global momentum of tourism growth with international tourist arrivals reaching 6% growth compared to 4.7% in the previous quarter.

The figures were released by SPTO in its Quarter 2 Tourism Arrivals Review with comparative analysis over the preceding quarter and the corresponding period of the prior year.

The favourable performance in the June quarter reversed the consecutive decline witnessed in the preceding two quarters in the region. Year to June 2017 arrivals already reached 949,712, up 2.8% over the corresponding six months last year.

The marked turnaround reflected a number of massive tourism promotional campaigns, increased in new air service arrangements and flight schedules and improved tourism infrastructure developments undertaken by most of the major destinations in the region. Consequently, tourist arrivals to the region accelerated, triggered by strong growth in tourist arrivals to all countries including Samoa at 22%. On market shares, Samoa was at 7.0%, followed by Palau 5.7%, Timor Leste 5.0% and New Caledonia and Vanuatu with estimated share of 5.2% and 4.6%, respectively.

Australia and New Zealand remained the leading markets for the region in the Second Quarter, with shares of 31.7% and 22.5%, respectively. USA, the third highest source market represented 10.2%, followed by Other Asia at 9.1%, China 7.0% while Europe and Pacific Islands each with shares of 6.5%. The other source markets made up the remaining 6.5% at the end of the Second Quarter.

The June Quarter 2017 publication can be accessed through SPTO RTRC Website.