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This paper reviews recent trends in major hospitality sectors in the Asia-Pacific region. Observes that the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), backpacker, and bed and breakfast sectors are growing, characterised by burgeoning market demand, proliferation of specialist infrastructure, sector-specific education and training, and dedicated development and marketing strategies. The casino sector is facing major challenges, seeing declining demand in some areas. Competitive force s are evident in the licensed clubs sector, where a proliferation of gambling options has undermined traditional sources of revenue. Conversely, the hotel and restaurant sectors can be considered mature. There is increased attention to facilities develop ment, asset management, market segmentation and use of new technologies, and the restaurant sector appears focused on product revitalisation. Concludes that the recent economic turmoil in Asia will no doubt produce new challenges, as well as opportunitie s, in the lead up to the next millennium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1997-98, a series of stochastic events in the Asia-Pacific region contributed to the end of a long period of tourism growth and 1998 saw contractions in tourist numbers in several countries of the region. Extensive forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra prompted cancellation of many visits to the East Asia region, even to destinations unaffected by the resulting widespread havoc. The Chinese take-over of Hong Kong had severe ramifications for tourist visitation to the former British territory, with heavy discounting evident in attempts to sustain tourist visitation. Subsequently, from July 1997, the most serious impacts began with the currency collapse in Thailand, the beginning of what is now referred to as the Asian Economic Crisis, affectin g many countries in East Asia. Indonesia has been the most severely affected. Escalating economic and political crises there have seen the virtual cessation of inbound tourism outside Bali. Then the coup d'étatin Cambodia effectively halted visita tion to what had been the region's second fastest growing destination country. Against all these factors, an era of growth has turned into a period of contraction, which is now presenting challenges for managers, investors and policy-makers interested in tourism across the Asia-Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews articles published in three Asia Pacific-based tourism journals: the Journal of Tourism Studies, Tourism Recreation Researchand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. Identifies five tourism themes relating to articles published over an eight year period from 1989-1996. These are: tourist markets, tourist flows, tourism development, sustainable tourism development and social, economic and cultural impacts of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifies themes in the hospitality and tourism literature arising from articles published in Asia Pacific-based journals from 1989 to 1996 inclusive. The journals are the Australian Journal of Hospitality Management, the Journal of Tourism Studie s, Tourism Recreation Researchand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. The themes are: attracting Asian outbound travel markets; stakeholder roles in service quality; workplace relations; investment, planning and development in the accommodation sector; and education and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]