The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has unveiled a new forecasting platform that estimates close to 130 million international visitors will enter the Greater Bay Area (GBA) this year. That’s a full recovery of pre-pandemic levels, Australia’s National Tribune reports.
If the platform proves accurate, the GBA could be seeing 195 million international arrivals in 2027 – along with over 335 million domestic tourists.
The platform was developed by the university’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management and is being touted as a valuable tool for understanding tourism flows under different economic scenarios.
[See more: Macao looks to the GBA to boost its international visitor arrivals]
It reportedly integrates economics, tourism management, big data and sentiment analysis based on online reviews to come up with its findings.
Tourism is a key industry in the GBA, but faces challenges from labour shortages, supply constraints, changing economic conditions and shifts in consumer behaviour.
The project’s leader, Professor Haiyan Song, noted that “Accurate forecasts of tourism demand recovery are crucial for policy makers and practitioners to be able to develop sustainable tourism strategies that foster long-term economic growth in the region.”
