China 's rising affluence drove a sharp surge in Asian travel bookings in April and May, as the industry sustained its recovery from the SARS epidemic, a major ticketing service said on Tuesday.
Abacus International, Asia's biggest air ticketing and reservations company, said rebounds in Vietnam, Singapore,
Hong Kong and Taiwan also spurred the growth.
Total bookings across Asia for Abacus soared 247 percent on year in April and 144 percent in May, with the rebound expected to continue although at a slower rate.
"The latest figures are testament to the hard work the entire industry has put into getting Asia travel back on track," Abacus president and chief executive Don Birch said in a statement.
"Over the next month, we are likely to see a more gradual rate of increase as travel patterns return to normal."
Birch said the turnaround was strongest in markets such as Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China , whose travel industries economic bore the brunt of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in the first half of 2003.
China was the runaway leader in the travel industry's recovery, with independent bookings up 372 percent in April and a massive 612 percent in May.
China 's 'Golden Week', a traditional holiday period in the first week of May, saw over 90 million people - more than the entire population of the Philippines - going on holidays.
Higher consumer spending and steps to liberalise outbound travel after decades of stringent controls have made the world's most populous nation "the centre of gravity" for the region's tourism industry, Abacus said.
About two percent of China 's 1.3 billion people, or more than 20 million, travel overseas annually and the rate is growing at 15-20 percent a year.
" China continues to drive Asia's travel growth," Birch said. "Due to its size and market potential, China will have significant impact on the region's entire travel industry."
Li Dong Qi, Abacus general manager for China , added: "Without doubt, China represents the future of travel in Asia."
He said, however, countries and travel agencies trying to attract Chinese tourists must not see China as a single region.
"To meet the needs of people in different regions of China , companies have to adapt their message, their products and distribution structure to suit the local environment," Li said.
Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and South Korea are among the favourite destinations of Chinese travellers.
