Following the near paralysis during the pandemic period, when travel and tourism suffered a major setback as tourist numbers fell dramatically, and deprived the receiving nations of valuable revenue. Recognizing tourism as a vital economic factor, many Asian countries went on the offensive at the recent New York Travel & Adventure Show (NYTAS) to attract tourists to their landmarks and other attractions.
U.S. tourists are seen as a valuable source of revenue by foreign travel and tour operators, government tourism promotion agencies, hotels, airlines, etc. all of whom seek a slice of the pie. Asian operators are on the frontline to court U.S. tourists who are considered to be among the world’s leading spenders on foreign travel and tourism.
Asian travel and tour operators, courting potential U.S. tourists, offered special tour packages, featuring visits to attractive tourism landmarks, etc. Tour operators reached out to visitors by getting them to participate in fun games and quizzes about their destinations and rewarding their participation by giving them token prizes and even samples of their native food and drinks.
Taiwan, Japan, India, Malaysia, Thailand and others made a strong pitch to highlight their tourist attractions, providing information and tips to inquisitive visitors at their pavilions.
Taiwan’s pavilion was adorned with colorful designs and pictures, depicting its tourism features; the pavilion also had some colorfully-attired characters who produced mirth and amusement among visitors at the show. Taiwan’s tourism director in New York, Jin J.J. Juang, explained that her office, which looks after the eastern regions of the U.S. and Canada, was happy with the “good response and interest” from visitors at the show.
“Tourist arrivals from the U.S. in Taiwan in 2024 surged some 25% over 2023 … this has been very encouraging for us after the lull in tourism experienced by many destinations during the pandemic years,” Ms Juang told the Global Trade Magazine. Tourism revenues accounts for some 4% to the island’s GDP. “U.S. tourists are attracted to Taiwan by its natural serenity and beauty, trekking, scuba diving, etc. “she added.
Malaysia, whose tourism industry is the second most important revenue-generating factor after exports, promoted its natural and cultural diversity mirrored in its plants and vegetation, its wildlife, its cultural and ethnicity mix, and its impressive modern architecture visible in its structures such as the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur, where visitors can go to the highest part of the towers to get a breathtaking glimpse of the city.
Linawati Ismail, the director of the Los Angeles office of the Malaysian Tourism Bureau, described the U.S. market as a “dynamic and certainly a very interesting market”.
“We are highlighting here our natural attractions such as the rainforest, the wildlife, etc. along with our multi-cultural and multi-racial national diversity. We have colorful festivals representing various religions and cultures that make up our national fabric. Ecotourism is another aspect that is of great interest to tourists. In addition, we offer resorts that are attractive for diving. While the average tourist may be unaware of our tourism attractions, Malaysia has always appealed to those who are aware of its rich tourism features,” noted Ms Ismail, adding that Malaysia had received an award for its attractive diving attributes at the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association Show (DEMA) in Florida. Indeed, the Malaysian island of Langkawi, renowned for its sandy beaches and sea-life, figured on Conde Nast “best island award list”, she said.
The number of U.S. tourists visiting Malaysia in 2024 touched 245,408 out of a total of 34 million from around the world. This constituted a 5.6% increase over 2019, the pre-pandemic base year.
Ms Ismail maintained that NYTAS provided a good start to the year. “It is a good time for the people to plan their holiday by coming here … this show helps us promote destination Malaysia in the eastern part of the U.S., just as we do so on the west coast,” she said.
Notwithstanding the location of its booth in an obscure corner spot, India’s soft power was ubiquitously visible even from this rather disadvantageous location. The country exudes a strong attraction to those seeking knowledge and spirituality; there is also, of course, the global appeal of yoga and Ayurveda, the technological progress and breakthroughs, particularly in software and now in the AI field, and its ancient culture and history that are reflected in the remarkable architecture of its landmarks.
While dancers performed classical Indian dances in another corner of the hall, the modest Indian booth was packed with visitors and potential tourists drawn by the country’s tourism attractions. The presence of a henna-designing artist attracted female visitors who lined up at the booth to have their hands painted with flowery designs.
Many curious visitors queried the staff at the India booth about yoga and Ayurveda, cuisine, temples, travel within the country and connectivity possibilities from the United States. Some female visitors, who had never visited India, also enquired about safety for women travelling alone in the country.
“Tourism is an important economic factor for India … India attaches great importance to U.S. tourism. Some 8% to 10% tourists arriving in India are from the U.S. There is considerable untapped potential to attract tourists with our wellness programs, meditation, adventure tourism, etc. India also has individually-tailored programs to suit the needs of the individual tourist. Tourism’s contribution to India’s GDP was about 9.1% in 2023. The 2024 figures are not yet available,” explained Manish Kulhary, Consul (Trade) from the Consulate General of India in New York, in an interview with Global Trade Magazine.
Japan had set up a huge pavilion which housed private travel and tour operators, some of whom were generously handing out samples of freshly-made miso soup, small bottles of milk shakes and other items. An artist who painted names and other messages in attractive Japanese calligraphy was quite popular among the visiting public which waited patiently to get a copy of the calligraphy with their names inscribed in Japanese.
Asian tourism agencies, eager to recover from the pandemic decline, will continue to court U.S. tourists who are rated among the world’s highest spenders on tourism.