East Asia is a major tourism region with countries like China, Japan, and South Korea receiving hundreds of millions of visitors annually. Tourism was impacted in 2011 by natural disasters in Japan but grew in other countries like South Korea and Macau. China has become the third most visited country and continues to see strong growth in tourism arrivals and as a source market for outbound travel. Other countries in the region like Hong Kong, Taiwan, North and South Korea, Mongolia, and Tibet each have their own unique tourism offerings and challenges.
3. Major Geographic Qualities of East
Asia
World’s most populous region
One of the world’s culture hearths
Political and economic forces continue to
transform traditional cultural landscapes
Intensifying regional disparities
4. Tourism Statistics and Trends
2011 - International arrivals down
Aftermath of Japan Earthquake, Tsunami
• Fewer international arrivals
• Japanese not traveling (impacts region)
South Korea - 11% up
Hong Kong - 11% up
Macau - 8% up
5. Statistics
Country Arrivals (Millions) Receipts
(Billions of $)
China 57.6 48.5
Hong Kong 22.3 27.7
South Korea 9.8 12.3
Japan(-27.8%) 6.2 11
Taiwan 6.0 11.0
6. Asia’s Established Destinations
Hong Kong
Economic (trade, business) hub, slowly
recovering from British transfer to China
Japan
Religious heritage, natural landscapes,
decline in tourism after Earthquake and
Tsunami
7. Eye on China
Has the most potential in Asia; mystic and fascination
by westerners; Political and economic liberalization
3rd most visited country in the world!
10% growth in tourism arrivals in 2008, a result of
Olympics
Macau - China’s territory
Concentrates on casinos that contribute 50% of its
revenue, largest gambling industry in world in terms
of profits
Venetian, Wynn, Sands Resorts
China as a source market
8. People’s Republic of China
Largest population in the world with 1.3 B
1/5 of all mankind are Chinese!
Land area of China slightly larger than the US
Major player in world politics, permanent
member of the UN Security Council
Dominant culture in East Asia, influencing
religion, art, philosophy and culture
One of the world’s oldest continuous
civilizations
Communist government
Strict political control, free market areas
9. Deng Xiaoping Era
Took power in 1979
Attempted to wed communist political rule with capitalist
economic practice
Socialist market economy
Introduced economic liberalization measures
Opened China to foreign science and technology
Permitted students to study abroad
Allowed for the tourism economy
Decentralized decision making (economics)
Created SEZs, open cities, open coastal areas
10. Special Economic Zones
Investor incentives
Easing of import and export regulations
Simplified land leases
Hiring of contract labor permitted
Products may be sold in foreign markets and in
China (under certain restrictions)
Location was prime consideration
12. Tourism in China
Inbound tourism…rapid growth (though slower than 2010)
Outbound tourism…
Rapidly growing # of Chinese tourists
Some of the biggest spenders (3rd overall in 2011 +32%)
increase in tourism expenditures
Countries should prepare for Chinese tourists
Australia - Chinese visitors increase by 17%
Approved Destination Status
Culture, heritage, nature
Hong Kong and Macau
13. Some of the Main Tourist Attractions
Beijing - Reflective of Old China
Tianamen Square, Great Wall, Forbidden City
Beijing Olympic sites
Shanghai
City of Future
High Tech, Highly Developed, High Industry
Special Economic Zone, (capitalism bubble within
Communist state)
Hong Kong and Macau
Tibet
14. Infrastructure
International Airports
Domestic Airlines network
Freeway system
Increasing accommodation styles and
pricing
Increased number of trained hospitality
workers
Tibet pressurized Railway
15. Hong Kong
Excellent deep water port
7 million people in 400 square miles
Economy is larger than half of the world's countries
July 1, 1999 British transferred control to China
Acquired a new status as China’s only Special
Administrative Region (SAR)
16. Hong Kong Tourism
Shopping
Culture
Business and Conferences
Heritage
17. Tibet
A harsh physical environment
Sparsely populated
Came under Chinese control in 1720
Gained separate status in the late 19th century
China’s communist regime took control in the
1950’s
Buddhism, the Dalai Lama and monasteries
Formally annexed in 1965 and administered as an
autonomous region
20. Taiwan
Historical background:
A Chinese province for centuries
Colonized by Japan in 1895
Returned to China > WWII
1949 – Chinese Nationalists (supported by the US)
fled from the mainland and established the Republic
of China (ROC)
Territory - approximately 14,000 Square miles
Population – 22.8 million
78% urbanized
21. Tourism in Taiwan
Largest number of visitors from Mainland
China
Tourism is characterized by
Parks
Trails
Culture
Gambling
• Limited to outer islands
• controversial
23. Japan
Historical Background
Japan is the richest country in East Asia
Isolated from rest of the world until arrival of
Commodore Perry in 1850’s
After initially opposing modernization and
development, Japan under Meiji emperor promoting
economic growth and development
Rapid economic growth in 19th and 20th C
Democratic development of Japan into 1920’s then
rise of militarism that led to WW II
Dramatic post-war economic growth in Asia
24. Position of Japan
Japan stands above the rest of Asia in the area
of tourism expenditure
Japanese as source market - Huge!
The Japanese spent about $27 billion (2011)
(but still behind China)
Decrease from 2010 due to Earthquake and
Tsunami
Reduced number of outbound tourists
25. Tourism in Japan
Vibrant, Technologically advanced cities
Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka
Value on Tradition, Culture, old-ways
Can be seen in social
interactions, architecture, restaurants, traditional tea
houses, food, geisha’s, etc
Heritage Sites,Temples
Natural Landscapes
Population concentrated in urban areas leaving space
Mt. Fuji, Skiing, Country side, Beaches in South
WWII
Other Factors
Cost
Transportation model
28. The size of Idaho but with a population of
73 million
Turbulent political history
A dependency of China
A colony of Japan
Divided along the 38th parallel by Allied
Powers > WW II (1945)
Cease-fire line established in 1953
The Koreas
29. North-South Contrasts
North Korea
55% of the land, 1/3 of the population, extremely rural
Antiquated state enterprises
Inefficient, non-productive agriculture
Limited trade – former Soviet Union and China
South Korea
45% of the land, 2/3s of the population, highly urbanized
Modern factories
Intensive, increasingly mechanized agriculture
Extensive trade – US, Japan, and Western Europe
30. The Koreas
Population 24.5 million 48 million
GNP (billions) $28 $1014
GNI/capita $1,800 $20,800
31. Tourism in North Korea
Strict communist state
No FIT
Designated areas only
Only recently for South Koreans and
Americans
DMZ
32. Tourism in South Korea
Shopping
VFR
Rural areas
Temples, heritage sites
DMZ
35. Mongolia
Steppe and desert physical environment
Sparsely populated with about 2.6 million
inhabitants
Part of the Chinese empire from late 1600’s
until 1911
Functions as a buffer state
Economy is focused on herding and animal
products
36. Mongolia Tourism
Yurts
Nomadic lifestyles
National parks
Deserts
Paleontology
Communist legacy, heritage