Tourists are flocking back to Southeast Asia — but the robust recovery is showing signs of cracks

[reader]

From CNBC

After more than two years of lockdowns and border controls, Southeast Asia is finally experiencing some semblance of the old days of travel.

Flights are steadily returning to 2019 levels in the region’s major economies, with Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia being the most popular destinations this year, according to the flight data analytics firm Cirium.

In Singapore, which had the most inbound flight bookings in the region this year, bookings rose from around 30% of 2019 levels in January to 48% by mid-June. The Philippines also saw a sharp uptick in bookings, from about 20% at the start of January, to almost 40% by mid-June, according to Cirium.

Tourism is a key moneymaker for Southeast Asia, a region which saw international visitors more than double from 63 million in 2009 to 139 million in 2019, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

The industry accounts for around 10% of gross domestic product in Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia and between 20% and 25% of GDP in Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines, according to a May 2022 report published by the Asian Development Bank.

The pandemic “was probably more devastating in Southeast Asia than the rest of the world [because] governments kept the borders closed for almost two years,” said Gary Bowerman, director of the travel research firm Check-in Asia. “There were even restrictions on domestic travel.”

“If you compare that to North America or Europe, for example, in both years 2020 and 2021 … they had some tourism and travel flows,” he said.

Changing travel habits

Most countries in Southeast Asia — including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines — have stopped requiring fully vaccinated travelers to take Covid-19 tests before traveling.

Continues at

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/23/travelers-return-to-southeast-asia-but-inflation-could-hurt-recovery.html

After Singapore dropped its pre-travel testing requirement in April, business has been “picking up fast and furious,” said Stanley Foo, founder of the local tour operator Oriental Travel & Tours. He said travelers are booking longer trips and spending more than before too.
 

Before the pandemic, the company received around 20 tour bookings a week, mostly for tours lasting three to four days. Now, its handling 25 bookings a week, some for trips up to 10 days long. Average expenditures on customized tours rose from around $2,000 per person before the pandemic to $4,000 to $6,000 today, said Foo.

“It’s because of the revenge traveling,” Foo said. “They have saved up enough for the past two years.”

Since tourists are spending more time in Singapore, Foo and his team of tour guides are taking clients to places outside the usual tourist itinerary — to the suburbs to watch residents do tai chi and to order coffee at hawker centers “the Singaporean way,” he said.

Joanna Lu of Ascend by Cirium, the company’s consultancy arm, said people are spending more time planning their journeys too. They are “making sure they’re covered for unexpected changes,” she said.

Not your usual tourists

Tourists contacting Foo are from all over the world, especially Southeast Asian countries, he said.

That’s in stark contrast to his pre-pandemic business, when Chinese nationals were among his company’s biggest client groups, said Foo. China continues to “strictly limit” non-essential travel out of the country.

Continues at

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/23/travelers-return-to-southeast-asia-but-inflation-could-hurt-recovery.html

 

 

[spoon]

I like the term coined here, revenge travelling. I am itchy myself but work makes it harder to plan around those unexpected restriction and change of plan. Seeing this despite china still limiting travelling, i wonder how things will get when china finally remove their restriction. Itll be revenge travelling multiply by 1000? 

[vinapu]

11 hours ago, spoon said:

I like the term coined here, revenge travelling. I am itchy myself but work makes it harder to plan around those unexpected restriction and change of plan. Seeing this despite china still limiting travelling, i wonder how things will get when china finally remove their restriction. Itll be revenge travelling multiply by 1000? 

it's why we should go now, restrictions removed at most destinations, hotel rates still economic only airfares are climbing and climbing

[reader]

+1

This is not time to procrastinate.Bargains can still be found in accommodations. And although it’s more challenging to find great airfares, due diligence will pay off if you remain flexible. If you’re not originating in a carrier’s hub, you’re  likely looking at two stops from US locations. Try altering departure cities. New York departures, once the most competitive, are getting more pricey.