RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2026 underscored a pivotal shift in the tourism industry: destinations must adapt to changing traveler behavior rather than simply chasing visitor numbers.

Ardiyansyah Djafar, representing the PATA Indonesia Chapter, emphasized that the future of Asia-Pacific tourism will be shaped by how well destinations read evolving global travel patterns.

“The biggest insight from the summit is that success will no longer be defined by who attracts the most tourists, but by who best understands their shifting behavior,” he said in a written statement received in Jakarta, Saturday, May 16, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Held recently in South Korea, the forum projected international arrivals in Asia-Pacific to reach 761.2 million by 2028, with intra-regional travel expected to account for 68.3 percent of inbound journeys by 2025.

Discussions also highlighted how artificial intelligence and digitalization are reshaping destination marketing. Travel marketing firm Sojern noted that promotional strategies now face mounting pressure to demonstrate measurable impact.

For Indonesia, Ardiyansyah said the challenge lies not only in boosting arrivals--15.39 million foreign visits and 1.20 billion domestic trips were recorded in 2025--but in enhancing the quality of experiences.

“The task ahead is to transform these numbers into authentic, digital-ready, sustainable, inclusive, and high-value experiences for both international and domestic travelers,” he added. ***