Asia Pacific visitor numbers increase in August

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has released figures highlighting a year-on-year increase in the number of tourists visiting the region in August.

There was a 0.5% increase in visitor numbers during the month compared to August 2008, with Macau, Hong Kong and China among the destinations attracting more tourists.

Malaysia was one of the strongest performers, with a 10% increase in visitors, while Cambodia achieved growth of 9%.

Sri Lanka recorded a substantial rise of 34% in tourist numbers following the end of a recent conflict in the country, with increases also noted in the Maldives and Nepal.

PATA spokesman John Koldowski stressed that, while the statistics appear to show positive trends, they should be treated with caution.

'Care needs to be taken in interpreting the latest results as we are entering a period now where the comparative base of last year began its decline,' he said.

'Even mediocre performances now may look good against the backdrop of 2008.'