Southeast Asia's tourism industry begins uneven recovery

Two years after tourism in Southeast Asia ground to a halt, travellers are getting back on planes as entry and COVID-19 quarantine rules are lifted in the region, but a full recovery will be slow and some long-time hotspots are falling out of favour. International airline bookings to Southeast Asia reached 38% of pre-pandemic levels by late March, according to travel firm ForwardKeys. They were at less than 10% of 2019 levels at the start of the year. Singapore and the Philippines led a sharp uptick in bookings. “We are the first to cut all the red tape,” said Philippines tourism minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. “Tourists are quite happy because upon arrival, they are free to go.” These countries now require vaccinated travellers to only perform a rapid antigen test before arrival, whereas more complicated requirements in Thailand have knocked the former tourist favourite out of the top league. The ForwardKeys data showed Singapore and Philippines bookings were at 72% and 65% of 2019 levels, respectively, while Thailand was at just 24%. “The on-arrivals PCR can cost 2,000-2,500 baht ($60-$75) and can cost a lot especially for groups, (making) people hesitant to travel,” said Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association. “If another country does not have entry requirements, people would rather go there … less hassle.” Bookings are a forward-looking indicator, and arrival figures also include returning locals. Singapore and the Philippines have large outbound markets compared to Thailand, said Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst. Asia, though, is lagging a recovery in other regions including Europe, which eased restrictions months ago. Domestic and international traffic within the Asia Pacific this year will only reach 68% of 2019 levels and hit pre-pandemic traffic by 2025, a year behind the rest of the world, the IATA said.<br/>