Asia Travel Re:Set #15 – When Will South East Asia Reopen for Tourism? - Part I
"I am still optimistic about South East Asia, but governments are grappling with so many issues on so many fronts."
Hello. Welcome to Asia Travel Re:Set
Almost one year ago, I co-launched The South East Asia Travel Show podcast with my fellow KL-ite Hannah Pearson. The show was founded on our shared, long-standing belief that South East Asia was the world’s most dynamic tourism region.
2019 seemed to prove our theory.
The UNWTO noted that South East Asia was the world’s leading growth region for visitor arrivals, up 7.8% on 2018.
Around 140 million visits were made to the 10 countries of South East Asia in 2019 - nearly double the 70.5 million in 2010.
This week, we will produce our 50th podcast. And what a year it has been.
Each week, we analyse the unfolding inbound, outbound and domestic developments in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. We overlay this with analysis of influential regional markets, such as China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia and the Middle East.
In many ways, so little has happened in 2020 - and yet so much continues to change.
Scrub that. ‘Change’ is the wrong word.
‘Transform.’
Tourism policy weaknesses have been highlighted like never before. Now, governments, policymakers, the travel industries and consumers themselves are scrabbling to grasp what to expect in 2021 - and beyond. No-one really has any idea.
A large number of travel businesses are simply trying to stay afloat in order to reach the new year. Many won’t make it. A long, harsh winter lies ahead.
So this week forms Part 1 of a 3-way snapshot analysis of South East Asian travel and tourism - at this particular, and truly mind-blowing, point in time.
Today, I’ll cover ASEAN as an overview, 3 mainland South East Asia nations, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, plus the often overlooked Sultanate of Brunei.
Thanks for being onboard.
Gary
Each Sunday, Asia Travel Re:Set places in context the week’s most important travel and tourism developments in Asia Pacific. If you are enjoying this issue so far, please feel free to…
The Sunday Itinerary
- DashBoard
An Asian Travel Pot Pourri
- QuoteBoard
Hong Kong, Australia, Philippines
- The ’South East Asia Travel’ Special - Part I
Marketing ASEAN as a Single Destination
Singapore: Cruises, Bubbles & Fast Tracks
Thailand Sets Out its ‘Riviera’ Strategy
Malaysia’s Long-Haul Dilemma
Brunei & China Plan for a Tourism Restart
Aviation, Airlines & Airports with Shukor Yusof, Endau Analytics
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DashBoard
An Asian Travel Pot Pourri
RMB42.9 billion: Combined loss of China’s 6-largest listed airlines in the first 9 months of 2020. (Caixin)
59,277: Cumulative total of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar on 7 November, the day it overtook Singapore to count the 3rd-highest total in South East Asia. (The Myanmar Times)
34: The number of planes put up for sale by Thai Airways. (Bangkok Post)
16%: Combined capacity target at the end of January 2021 for Singapore Airlines and its SilkAir subsidiary compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. (Orient Aviation)
3.6%: 1.1 million international passengers flew on Asia Pacific airlines in September, or 3.6% of the 30 million in the same 2019 month. (Association of Asia Pacific Airlines)
QuoteBoard
You heard it here…
“I have reflected that various sectors, including businesses and residents, have such strong aspirations … but in the end, it is Hong Kong that needs to be stricter on curbing the epidemic.”
Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, upon failing to persuade China to reopen its shared border. (South China Morning Post)
“Fast-tracking the re-opening of domestic borders and re-birthing the next long-term tourism plan should be immediate priorities to help aid recovery of our beleaguered tourism industry.”
Australian Tourism Industry Council (Official statement)
“As the aviation industry gradually restarts and reshapes amidst this new normal, we hope for your continued patience and understanding, as refunds may still take up to six months from the time the request was filed.”
Cebu Pacific (Official statement)
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1) Marketing ASEAN as a Single Destination
In a recent webinar, I was asked how COVID-19 might impact the evolving strategy of marketing ASEAN as a single destination.
Totally, and not at all.
Promoting the 10 countries - or at least the 7 mainland nations - of South East Asia as a single destination always seemed rather fanciful - and counter-productive.
Geographically, culturally and strategically, South East Asia is a vast region. The differences between nations often transcends their similarities. National pride far outweighs any presumed ASEAN identity.
And is it really viable to promote a continental-sized region as a single destination - especially when the vast majority of marketing resources are channeled into Asian source markets, where short trips to one country tend to be the norm?
Nevertheless, in recent years, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has furthered this objective as part of its overall “One Vision, One Identity” branding.
The ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 set out a blueprint to “Enhance The Competitiveness of ASEAN as a Single Tourism Destination.” Under the umbrella slogan of “South East Asia: Feel the Warmth”, it set a goal to advance the contribution of tourism from 12% to 15% of regional GDP.
“In times of crisis, such as the pandemic, ASEAN fails to muster a credible response.”
This strategy bathed in the glow of the newly formed ASEAN Economic Community, which entered into force in 2015. Often (erroneously) compared to the EU, ASEAN is a loosely-knit network of states. It rarely sets policy goals. There is no central bank, common currency or monetary policy. Nations can negotiate their own free trade deals, see Vietnam’s recent agreement with the EU.
Moreover, in times of crisis, such as the pandemic, ASEAN fails to muster a credible response.
In addition, the closeness of economic and strategic ties with China of two ASEAN members - Cambodia and Laos - is causing divisions within the bloc. Given their central geography in mainland South East Asia, both countries would be vital to a centralised ASEAN tourism promotion strategy. Neither seems very interested.
Over-riding these political inhibitors is the fierce competition among ASEAN states to attract tourists. While strategic inbound markets (read: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Middle East and - in some cases - Russia) are targeted, ASEAN members were also - pre-pandemic - fighting hard to attract visitors from each other.
“Almost 40% of arrivals to ASEAN nations in 2019 heralded from other ASEAN nations.”
This provides some context for two ASEAN-themed events that made news this week.
Firstly, the 2021 ASEAN Tourism Forum - scheduled to take place in Phnom Penh in January - was pushed back to 2022. This sizeable international event, which features a trade show and ministerial-level conference, will stay in Cambodia, although the baton for hosting would ordinarily pass to Indonesia in 2022.
Also this week, the ASEAN-Korea Centre in Seoul launched the 2020 ASEAN Culture & Tourism Pavilion. The 22-day showcase aims to provide Koreans “with the chance to relive their nostalgia for travelling, and deepen their understanding of culture, tourism and food of the 10 ASEAN countries.”
Now, is that promoting ASEAN as a single destination, or using an umbrella platform to highlight the individual attractions of each country?
Semantics aside, the event is predicated on South Korea delivering more than 10 million visitors to South East Asian destinations in 2019. It is a vital inbound market for countries in the region - as well as an investor in airports and rail systems.
“South Korea is a vital inbound market for countries in the region - as well as an investor in airports and rail systems.”
The ASEAN-Korea Centre in Seoul is an intergovernmental association established in 2009. It has four stated objectives: to improve investment flows, increase trade, boost tourism and promote cultural exchanges between South Korea and South East Asia.
Perhaps in an ‘ordinary’ year, it might gain less attention. But in 2020, when travel events have been primarily virtual, a real-life exhibition acquires extra significance.
For once, Tourism Ministers and NTOs of each ASEAN country will show outward unity in the common purpose of securing bookings - for their own countries, of course.
2) Singapore: Cruises, Bubbles & Fast Tracks
As I’ve written in previous issues of Asia Travel Re:Set, Singapore has always placed, and will always consider, Changi Airport as the fulcrum of its economy. Ensuring a viable future for the so-called “lung of Singapore” has informed the network of bilateral Safe Travel Pass and Fast Track agreements put in place in recent months.
Changi’s positioning was also central to negotiations with Hong Kong for the as-yet-unspecified Air Travel Bubble agreement - which would also provide much-needed route support for the beleaguered national carrier Singapore Airlines.
This week, Singapore Airlines announced a record SGD3.5 billion net loss for the first half of 2020. Group revenue actually declined 80.4% year-on-year during the first 6 months of 2020, while cargo revenue increased 28.3%.
“This week, Singapore Airlines announced a record SGD3.5 billion net loss for the first half of 2020.”
Group-wide cost cuts have included shedding around 4,300 jobs - a process that the airline group says cost if SGD42 million. It has also negotiated a revised delivery schedule with Airbus for new aircraft, while discussions with Boeing are ongoing.
In October, Singapore Airlines embarked upon a 3-year “Transformation programme.” A total of 33 current aircraft have been deemed “surplus to requirements,” while 143 planes are currently parked in Singapore (114) and Alice Springs (29), Australia.
This week, Singaporean travel industry players will have watched carefully as Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam travelled to Beijing. The objective of her visit was to persuade Chinese leaders to reopen the mainland border with Hong Kong.
The request was, for now, denied.
Chinese officials insisted that Hong Kong must take even stronger measures to stamp out COVID-19 infections.
We await to discover whether this will impact the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble. Before her trip to Beijing, Ms Lam stated it could begin in late November.
“Chinese officials insisted that Hong Kong must take even stronger measures to stamp out COVID-19 infections.”
This week, Singapore turned its attentions from the air to the sea. Its first so-called Cruise to Nowhere - officially promoted as a “Super Seacation” by Dream Cruises - set sail. The three-day itineraries do not include any port calls, but rather a “boatload of built-in attractions.”
These include virtual reality travel experiences, mini golf, HIIT fitness classes and a laser show at sea. Christmas-themed cruises are also planned.
The timing is apposite.
It’s almost one year since Singapore Tourism Board entered into a “5-year, multi-million dollar fly-cruise partnership” with Royal Caribbean.
The deal aimed to attract 623,000 international arrivals to Singapore by 2024. The fly-cruisers would spend a few days in the Lion City before or after boarding a cruise.
The Fly-Cruise travel packages were forecast to generate SGD430 million in visitor spend over the five year period.
To achieve this figure, promotional efforts would prioritise the fast-growing cruise markets in China and South East Asia. The official launch statement noted:
“The number of cruise passengers sailing in South East Asia is expected to grow at 4.6-6.4% per annum to reach up to an estimated 4.5 million passengers by 2035.”
That was mid November 2019.
In November 2020, Singaporean cruise passengers are setting sail for destination-less voyages.
They are, however, viewed as a stress test for new health protocols being instituted - and an opportunity for travel-starved Singaporeans to take a short vacation at sea.
3) Thailand Set Out its ‘Riviera’ Strategy
Thailand’s attempts to resuscitate its vital tourism economy have been less clearly strategised, but equally – perhaps more – headline-making than Singapore.
To some degree, Thailand’s reactionary responses are understandable. Plugging the gap of revenue and employment opportunities that were built over the past decade but came crashing down this year is a monumental task.
Last year, Thailand welcomed 39.8 million visitors. Will it ever reach that figure again? It’s unlikely in the next decade, at least.
Meandering from a plan to reopen Phuket as a Bio Bubble island to instead centring its Special Tourist Visa strategy around an initial 14-day quarantine in Bangkok – the Tourism Authority of Thailand has seemed uncertain of its footing.
“The pathways to a travel revival in Thailand are complex and unclear.”
With its youth population proving politically restive, its national carrier undergoing bankruptcy protection proceedings and surveys showing deep unease about reopening the borders to tourists, the pathways to a travel revival are complex and unclear.
Observers also remain confused about the composition of those two plane loads of Special Tourist Visa arrivals from China.
Are they bona fide tourists? Are some of them business people, or workers for large companies? Do some live and/or study and/or own property in Thailand?
Have they all been administered with a Chinese COVID-19 trial vaccine?
This week, two stories gave notice of its tourism blueprint for the future. One involves infrastructure development and the other would remove the quarantine stipulation for inbound visitors.
Infrastructure expansion is part of Thailand’s long-term development goals. Last month, the Thai government expedited negotiations with China to kickstart the long-delayed High-Speed Railway.
To be constructed by Chinese companies (and deploying Chinese rail technology), the network will be developed over the next decade. Once completed, it will connect Bangkok with the Laos border.
“This week, Thailand turned its attentions to road infrastructure.”
This week, Thailand turned its attentions from rail to road infrastructure. Illustrating that it views self-drive tourism as an intrinsic part of the nation’s tourism future, it unveiled plans for the Thailand Riviera route.
Designed to “stimulate the tourism industry and the local economy,” a proposed 1,500km route will span the Gulf of Thailand. In addition, a 750km self-drive route will track the Mekong River, and a 175km roadway will traverse the Khao Yai Mountains.
This forms part of a 20-year strategic plan. Further inland routes may yet be added.
Phase one of the coastal Thailand Riviera route is expected to be completed in 2023, with phase 2 scheduled for completion in 2026. Phase 3 will begin construction in 2023, while phase 4 remains – as yet – un-surveyed.
Meanwhile, the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) urged the government to establish agreements with other COVID-safe South East Asian nations that would remove the requirement for travellers to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The TTAA said this is an essential stop-gap policy to stimulate tourism demand ahead of a vaccine becoming available – which it said would not be likely until at least mid-2021.
The TTAA said the move would help to stimulate both inbound and outbound demand, which is vital for its members. Currently, around half of the TTAA’s 800 outbound tour operator members are closed.
“It is refreshing to see a focus on outbound travel in a year dominated by domestic campaigns and jumbled inbound strategies.”
Around 11 million Thai travellers ventured overseas in 2019, and the TTAA says there is strong pent-up demand for outbound travel – especially to experience the postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo, scheduled to take place in July/August 2021.
Japan is a popular destination for Thai travellers, with 1.3 million visiting in 2019 – up from 800,000 in 2015.
Whether the TTAA’s Olympic-related statement was intended as an emotive jolt for the government remains to be seen - but it is refreshing to see a focus on outbound travel in a year dominated by domestic campaigns and jumbled inbound strategies.
4) Malaysia’s Long-Haul Dilemma
Each morning, I take a 15-minute Grab ride from my home in Kuala Lumpur to a coffee shop.
En route, the drivers typically quiz me on various topics, from whether I’ve had breakfast yet and how long I’ve lived in Malaysia to - being English - which football team I support.
But in 2020, the focus of these small journeys has shifted. Each one has become a raw vignette of a nation undergoing enforced upheaval.
Drivers tell me, with remarkable candour, about their upturned lives. About the jobs they used to have before the pandemic ravaged the economy. About their debts, and their fears for their family’s future.
On Wednesday, my driver told me about his “former life” as a private driver for inbound travellers.
Mostly from Europe, his clients would - via a tour operator - hire him for up to 25 days at a time to drive and guide them around peninsular Malaysia. Some would then head to Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
“Europeans come to Malaysia for 3 weeks, a month or more,” he said wistfully.
His use of the present tense was both hopeful and resigned.
“Upon arrival, they were given 24 hours to leave the country as lockdown approached.”
His last job as a tourism driver was for a Dutch couple that arrived in Malaysia for a 3-week holiday in mid-March. Upon arrival, they were given 24 hours to leave the country as lockdown approached. Their holiday, and his career, disintegrated.
This story is replicated worldwide.
But his words talk to the structural dynamics of travel that are shattered in 2020.
In Malaysia, the collapse of travel is acute. This year was dedicated as Visit Malaysia Year. A celebration of travel and tourism designed to attract 30 million visitors.
This week, the first week of November, the national budget offered little support for the travel sector.
Since September, COVID-19 cases have spiralled once more despite the country’s borders being closed since it entered the first lockdown in mid-March.
Most of the country is now under a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). Interstate travel is prohibited until at least 6 December. The tourism sector is bleeding.
Malaysia received 26.1 million arrivals in 2019. It had targeted 30 million in 2020.
In the first six months of this year, 4,252,997 visitors arrived - compared to 13.3 million from January until June 2019.
“Short and medium haul markets were hit hardest, down 69.1% and 69.0, respectively.”
Short and medium haul markets were hit hardest, down 69.1% and 69.0%, respectively. The long-haul market, which is increasingly considered less important, fell 58.8%.
Yet, closer inspection reveals that in 2019, Malaysia’s average stay was 7.4 nights - this is relatively high in the region.
And that’s partly because of those long-haul arrivals that provided my Grab driver with a job he loved. (The other part is Singaporean arrivals who own property in Malaysia or stay with family when crossing the causeway.)
In 2019, all of Malaysia’s top 10 visitor markets were in Asia. Just as they were in 2015.
The withering of long-haul travel was noticeable long before the pandemic.
The trend was partly shaped by Tourism Malaysia dedicating much of its resources to short and mid-haul markets. The nation’s three airline groups, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Malindo, did likewise.
From 2017 to 2019, Malaysia averaged between 1.05 million and 1.2 million annual visitors from Europe, and between 308,000 and 390,000 from North America. In 2020, it has received 221,000 Europeans.
But let’s look a little closer.
Back in 2015, arrivals from the UK dropped 10.0% year on year, Germany was 8.5% down and Canada fell 14.7%.
But despite declining visitor totals, those markets still created an economic impact.
“Not a single Asian market ranked in the top 5 for average length of stay, or for per capita expenditure.”
In 2018, three of Malaysia’s top 5 markets for average length of stay were UK (2nd, 9.4 nights), Denmark (3rd, 9.4 nights) and Netherlands (5th, 9.3 nights). The other two markets in the top 5 were Saudi Arabia (1st) and Kuwait (4th).
Not a single Asian market ranked in the top 5 for average length of stay, or for per capita expenditure.
Although most destinations in Asia have chased volume tourism in recent years, the value of longer stay arrivals remained overlooked right up until this fateful year.
As the region’s travel sector reshapes in the coming years, the interplay of short, mid and long-haul markets will strike a sharper focus than ever - especially for nation’s like Malaysia, whose tourism mix is more complex than is often presumed.
5) Brunei & China Plan for a Tourism Restart
Brunei and Laos.
In an interview earlier this year, I was asked to select two tourism economies in South East Asia I thought would exit the pandemic with strong future prospects.
I stand by those predictions.
Laos I will come to next week.
Brunei receives very little attention in the travel media. A tiny nation of less than half a million people, its economy has been built on natural resources, primarily oil and gas. But before the pandemic, it had identified tourism as potential growth sector.
Sharing the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia, Brunei aimed to increase annual air arrivals from 278,000 in 2018 to 450,000 in 2020.
The top 2018 visitor market was China, accounting for 21% of arrivals. ASEAN nations contributed 133,300 visitors.
Before 2020, it was evident that Brunei’s tourism future will be aligned with China.
In October 2019, Royal Brunei Airlines was one of the first international carriers to be granted a flight service to the new Beijing Daxing International Airport. It had planned to expand to a daily Beijing-Bandar Seri Begawan service in 2020.
“[These flights] will create and help positively position Brunei in the minds of millions of potential Chinese visitors,”
said Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, Acting CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines.
Fast forward 13 months, and as a COVID-safe country - it counts a cumulative total of just 138 cases and 3 deaths - Brunei has a chance to present itself as a desirable escape to pristine nature.
This may be an extremely strong USP in future.
Brunei actively promotes its rainforests and unique wildlife, and the new Chinese-built Temburong Bridge connects its two geographies (which are separated by Malaysia’s Sarawak state).
South East Asia’s longest cross-sea bridge now enables visitors to the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, to access Ulu Temburong National Park, a tropical rainforest described as “the crown jewel of Brunei’s green landscapes.”
The bridge may spur investment in the hospitality sector, which will be needed if Brunei is to capitalise on potential interest from China and Muslim tourism markets.
On 17 January 2020 - shortly before COVID-19 began to spread globally - the Bruneian and Chinese governments dedicated 2020 as China-Brunei Tourism Year.
Although currently on hold, the two countries plan to expand direct air access, and increase promotional activities to entice more Chinese visitors to Brunei.
This week, those preparations stepped up a gear.
Brunei launched a new Online Chinese Language Tour Guide Training programme.
Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Waha, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, said:
“The launch of this invaluable training course prepares us for full-fledged activities once the pandemic eases or ends… it will enhance [people’s] skills to give the best impressions to tourists from the People’s Republic of China.”
Meanwhile, Xinhua - China’s state news agency - reported Brunei’s new domestic tourism campaign, and has been regularly tracking the number of days Brunei has gone without a COVID-19 case, which reached 16 on 17 November.
Significantly, it also quoted Yu Hong, Chinese ambassador to Brunei, who this week said:
“We believe that, when conditions permit, Chinese tourists will visit Brunei again. Some of the Brunei-China Year of Tourism 2020 activities are to be postponed. However, the Chinese language tour guide training programme is among the efforts to explore more possibilities for cultural exchanges under the 'new normal’.”
6) Aviation, Airlines & Airports with Shukor Yusof
Shukor Yusof is founder of Endau Analytics, a Malaysia-based aviation consultancy. He has been an astute commentator over recent months. On Friday, we caught up for a discussion about the aviation challenges ahead in South East Asia. Here’s a summary of the key points.
What realistically can the region expect in 2021?
“I would imagine in 2021 we’ll see a downside not just in the health crisis but also in terms of the economic fallout that will come with it. You are seeing the impacts already in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand especially as it’s the biggest tourism economy in South East Asia. Even if Thailand does recover, it’s going to be very slow, very incremental, and the image of post-COVID travel is very different to the one we’ve known before.”
How are investors looking at the region?
“Singapore is one of the few countries in the world, mostly because it’s a city, that can manage the population during this pandemic. But in huge population countries, like Indonesia or the Philippines, it’s much harder to control a health crisis. So it’s wearing down on governments, it’s wearing down on people – and this all adds to the growing lack of confidence for investors in South East Asia.”
Airlines are running out of money, so how can they cope over the next few months if international travel doesn’t re-continue?
“Well, the reality is they can’t unless you are Singapore Airlines, which has one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds behind it. If you are Malaysia Airlines or Thai Airways or Garuda Indonesia, you are pretty much looking at the possibility of not being able to sustain your business, or downright collapse, unless the governments of each country come to a clear decision about how they can recapitalise those national carriers. For Malaysia Airlines, I estimate you would need to inject USD10 billion into its stable of airlines. That’s a huge amount of money which is needed for other parts of the economy.”
“The situation differs around South East Asia. Singapore is unique because the government understands the importance of having Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport as the central components of their economy. Without either or both of those, Singapore would be very different. But Singapore is a first-world country with a very strong credit profile. The same can’t be said of Indonesia or Thailand.”
Thai Airways, which is undergoing a bankruptcy protection process, has announced it will sell 34 aircraft. Are there any buyers out there?
“It’s astonishing to see that kind of fire sale, and I’m not so sure who will buy them because many of those aircraft have been languishing for a long time. Even if you are setting up a new airline, you probably would not go for what they are selling, because those are wide-body aircraft, typically fuel-guzzlers. For a new airline, you would want narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft.”
Private airlines are being left to fend for themselves without state support. How hard is it for them to secure financing?
“There is liquidity in the markets, but it is just very selective at the moment. For an airline like AirAsia, which needs to raise funds, you would have to give up a lot of things to gain access to that money. And if you look at the liabilities and debts that it has accumulated and the issues they have had with the regulators, I don’t see how they could fund and restructure AirAsia X, for example.”
Also, when you are restructuring, you would normally make rational judgments about the operating environment. At the moment, Tony Fernandes – and potential investors - have no idea when AirAsia’s planes will be able to fly internationally again.
“Yes, that’s absolutely true. The market out there for a low-cost, long-haul carrier just doesn’t exist. Eight or nine out of ten low-cost, long-haul airlines that emerged in the last decade have failed. Using wide-body aircraft, it is very hard to make money with that model. I understand that Tony wants to keep it going because of the connectivity it brings into KLIA2, where it is a feeder for AirAsia. But a lot of things involved in a restructure are out of their hands at the moment. So they may need to focus on AirAsia, which can emerge strong from this crisis.”
Airlines, airports and all sectors of the travel economy are facing an existential crisis. Are there any signs of light up ahead?
“I am still optimistic about South East Asia. There are 10 countries and 650 million people, so there will be opportunities – but governments need to align themselves in terms of screening and formulating mechanisms to allow air travel to survive in the region. I feel South East Asia has a lot going for it, but at the moment each government is grappling with so many issues on so many fronts.”
And, that’s a wrap for Issue 15.
Until next Sunday, you can catch me on Twitter and LinkedIn, and at Check-in Asia.
On Thursday’s The South East Asia Travel Show, we discussed Hungary’s Foreign Minister testing positive for COVID-19 in Thailand, more flights taking off in Indonesia and Tuk-Tuk DJs in Phnom Penh. All in 20 minutes.
Feel free to hit me up with thoughts and feedback to gary@check-in.asia
Speak soon,
Gary