In its latest tourism forecast, the Pacific Asia Travel Association revealed the region will likely see an annual tourism growth rate of 5.8 per cent over the next five years, bringing Asia’s total international arrivals to 573 million by 2021, compared to 433 million in 2016. This significant increase in travel can be easily attributed not only to the growing business relationships between Asia and the rest of the world but also to the region’s beautiful natural landscapes, premier culinary experiences and rich cultural history.

Intra-regional travel will account for more than 75 per cent of all international arrivals in Asia Pacific destinations. In 2016, 82.6 per cent of arrivals into Asian destinations were from other Asian countries.

Vietnam has seen steady growth over the past few years, which is expected to continue through 2017. The Southeast Asian country welcomed 10 million international visitors for the first time in 2016. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the first two months of the year saw a record-breaking 2.2 million visitors, up 33 per cent compared to the same period last year.

A similar story is unfolding in Indonesia. The country’s tourism sector continued to thrive in January 2017 with more than 1 million visitors, according to the latest data from the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics. The number of visitors reported marks a 26.6 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. China contributed more than 200,000 visitors in January, followed by Singapore, Australia and Malaysia.

Japan saw 24 million visitors in 2016, the largest number of tourists on record according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, and Thailand’s travel and tourism sector grew by nearly 11 per cent in 2016 and will be the world’s 10^th-fastest-growing country for the industry over the next decade with an average growth rate of 6.5 per cent per year, according to a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council.