Overtourism remains a critical issue throughout the globe and the challenge of decongesting highly popular destinations has led to a shift towards secondary destinations.
This year’s PATA Travel Mart made a state in this regard: rather than in a key urban centre like Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, the event was staged in Kuching, one of Malaysia’s lesser known yet equally vibrant destinations.
The small event with the big impact not only brought the world to Borneo, but it highlighted how second cities and notable towns have a great deal to offer travel and tourism professionals.
If we go by what Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) chief executive Noor Ahmad Hamid said during the event, opting to host key events in lesser known locations poses some risks, but the payoff for both organisers and the destination itself is extensive.
Calculated risks
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, 18th August, Hamid remarked: “We took a calculated risk because when we decided to bring PATA Travel Mart to Sarawak. For one, Sarawak is not a direct destination compared to other big cities like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, and others. But we took that risk because of the potential benefits for our members.”
Such benefits include an improved understanding of the host nation’s other cities which, in turn, enables travel professionals to craft products to pique the interest of their clients towards a different side beyond what is merely popular.
At the same time, hosting an event in a lesser known destination is an economic shot in the arm for local communities, thus bringing progress and prosperity to those who need it.
Indeed, if we look at areas like the Philippine where tourists tend to congregate only in known locations like Manila, Cebu, and Boracay, shifting tourist traffic to other areas diffuses the economic surge as it ensures that everyone gets to play host and reap the benefits thereof.
The great destination rethink
Keeping this in mind, secondary destinations matter because they ease severe overcrowding in major hotspots, spread financial gains to local communities, and offer travelers authentic, budget-friendly cultural experiences.
At the same time, these enable tourism boards to shift from a strained, concentrated burden to a more balanced global network.
After all, smaller crowds mean better and more relaxed experiences for visitors and locals alike compared to the stressful one size fits all paradigm of conventional tourism.
Making the shift also means revenue reaches rural or lesser-known regional economies instead of just big capital cities.
In such a scenario, smaller family-owned businesses and local artisans stand to gain the most from direct tourist spending, and industrial employment goes beyond urban centres.
