COVID-19 and the Future of Tourism in Asia and the Pacific

What

Tourism in the region has been rapidly transforming for decades. Rising regional incomes and shifting consumer consciousness have shaped the growth of intraregional travel and customer preferences.

Global megatrends such as digitalization and globalization have also influenced the sector.
Yet even among these major changes, the COVID- 19 pandemic stands as a milestone in tourism’s development in the region. Existing trends, such as digitalization, have been accelerated, and industry faces new demands in areas such as health and safety protocols. Many tourism businesses across the region are thus reimagining the future
of tourism and their place in it.

While tourism is largely a private sector activity, it needs to be enabled by a complex web of policy, regulation, and infrastructure investments by government. Reform and recovery initiatives being rolled out by governments in the region will have immediate,
long- term, and far- reaching consequences for the industry.

Sustainable development of the sector requires close collaboration across all major stakeholder groups—from governments to communities and private sector at national and destination level, and on to visitors themselves. Opportunities are emerging for governments and businesses to leverage greater consumer consciousness to support sustainable tourism.