Singapore and the Philippines lead the way in increasing the number of flight bookings to Southeast Asia

The flight carrying the first foreign tourists landed at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of March 16, after Vietnam officially reopened to international tourism from March 15, 2022. (Photo: vietnamtourism.gov.vn)

Thailand is considered “lagging” compared to Vietnam in terms of the number of foreign visitors

Reuters news agency quoted the above comment of the World Travel & Tourism Council (World Travel and Tourism Council) 2 years after the world’s tourism industry in general, Southeast Asia in particular was delayed because of Covid-19. Now tourists have returned, after restrictions on entry were lifted in many countries.

Foreign tourists experience an adventure tour in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Photo: tourradar)

But to fully recover tourism in Southeast Asia in general, experts predict, this process will still take place quite slowly and unevenly.

Especially, a perennial tourism “hot spot” like Thailand is showing signs of “lagging” compared to other Southeast Asian neighbors, including Vietnam. The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2022 from a year earlier.

The Philippines’ adventure tours are increasingly attracting tourists after the country removed restrictive regulations, only requiring tourists to have had a quick test vaccine before arriving. (Photo: Smile Magazine)

According to data from travel agency ForwardKeys, the number of reservations on international flights to Southeast Asia has increased from less than 10% of pre-Covid-19 levels in early 2022, to 38%. at the end of March. This number of reservations is significant because it is a predictor of future arrivals.

Singapore now accounts for 72% of foreign bookings on international flights, compared to 2019. (Image: Getty)

Leading the way in this increase in bookings are Singapore (72% compared to 2019) and the Philippines (65% compared to 2019), mainly because these two countries only require tourists who have had the injection. rapid test vaccine before arrival.

While quarantine requirements are still more complicated than in Thailand, causing this once very “hot” destination to be “discarded from the first round” by many international visitors, the number of bookings to Thailand is now only 24 % compared to 2019.

Currently 1/3 of international tourists to Southeast Asia are from Europe

Although Singapore and the Philippines currently enjoy a larger outbound tourism market position than Thailand, independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie still noted: Asia’s tourism is recovering more slowly than other countries. other regions, especially Europe, which eased travel restrictions months ago.

International tourists enjoy the experience of making lanterns in Hoi An. (Photo: vietnamluxurytourism)

Similarly, according to the forecast of the International Air Transport Association (International Air Transport Association), domestic and international travel traffic in the Asia-Pacific region in 2022 will reach 68% of that With 2019, it is possible to fully recover to the pre-Covid-19 era by 2025. That is still a year behind the rest of the world.

Since the beginning of 2022, one-third of international tourists to Southeast Asia have been from Europe. (Photo: tourradar)

The profile of international travelers to Southeast Asia has also changed. Chinese tourists, which are the largest tourist segment in Asia, are still not allowed to travel abroad. While Japan has not yet fully opened its doors, only a small number of Japanese visitors have come to Southeast Asian countries.

Another tourist segment that has just shown positive signs is from Russia, but the war between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted the flow of Russian tourists to Southeast Asia.

International tourists experience the sunset on the sea of ​​Bali, Indonesia. (Photo: tourradar)

The latest data show that: Since the beginning of the year, a third of international tourists to Southeast Asia have been from Europe, with the number having increased by about 22% compared to 2019. Visitors from North America increased from 9% to more than 21% in 2019. Tourists from other Asian countries accounted for only 24% compared to 57% in 2019.