Asean tourism pivots and recovers, but Chinese tourist gap remains

SOUTH-EAST Asia’s tourism industry is seeing light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel, as eased travel restrictions and the diversification of tourist offerings lure international travellers back. But the continued absence of tourists from China – the main pre-pandemic source of visitors for many regional destinations – will limit the pace and strength of the recovery, say analysts.

Countries which removed pandemic-related curbs early have been successful in attracting travellers, said Jane Lim, vice-president of global markets at Tripadvisor: “Tourists are visiting new destinations … that they might not have considered before and may continue to revisit them in the future.”

She noted that in a recent survey by the online travel company, 49 per cent of Singaporeans said travel regulations are their top worry when making plans for upcoming trips.