PATA PUBLISHES POST-SEPTEMBER 11 OUTLOOK

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has released a special report, "The Post-September 11 Outlook for Travel and Tourism in East Asia and the Pacific." Commissioned by PATA and prepared by STRATFOR, a leading provider of intelligence, the report analyses the ramifications of the Sept. 11 attacks for the Pacific Asia tourism industry in relation to key issues such as the psychological state of travellers, worldwide security and the state of the global economy.

According to the report, in the recent history of "short-lived and contained conflicts, tourism drops off sharply for a period directly following a major crisis but recovers quickly, usually with a spike in travel in the near term followed by a period of steady growth."

The paper offers best-case, worst-case and most-likely scenarios, followed by measures that the travel industry can undertake to ward off an extended downturn, such as shifting market orientation, conducting aggressive marketing in targeted areas and lobbying national governments for support.

"We view this report as an important starting point," said Mr. John Koldowski, Managing Director of PATA's Strategic Information Centre. "This is an extremely fluid situation, and PATA's gathering of information needs to remain fluid as well. As we continue to obtain new data, we will concentrate on ways in which Pacific Asia destinations can reposition themselves, if necessary, and take advantage of any new opportunities." Mr. Koldowski said PATA is considering a series of interactive workshops that would address challenges and opportunities on a destination-by-destination basis.

All PATA members may access the 17-page report for free in the members-only area of PATAnet (www.pata.org). Non-members may purchase the paper for US$100.