Issue #131 - This Week's Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in Asia Pacific!
The latest updates from China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and more.
Welcome to issue 131 of Asia Travel Re:Set.
Note to self: late February is still peak season in Phuket. Go later next year.
I had the pleasure of spending a few days on the island last week after eventually getting through a long (and slow) passport queue on arrival.
A day earlier, Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, spot-checked Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and criticised the length of arrival and departure procedures - ahead of announcing the timeframe to complete its massive capacity expansion.
Post-pandemic problems, indeed!
So let’s get ready for take-off…
Thanks for checking-in.
This Week’s Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in Asia Pacific!
The latest updates from China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and more.
Let’s begin in Thailand, where China is back in front in terms of visitor arrivals for the first time in 4 years. Thailand received 5.98 million visitors (up 48% year-on-year) from 1 January-25 February, 1.1 million of which were from China. Malaysia, which was Thailand’s #1 visitor market in 2022 and 2023, placed 2nd (760,000) and Russia 3rd (397,000). South Korea and India completed the top 5. [Thailand Ministry of Tourism & Sports]
Next to China, where Chinese carriers have received the green light to increase to 50 (from 35) the weekly number of flights to/from the US. The US Department of Transportation granted the upgrade ahead of the school summer holidays, a season that typically drives travel volumes between the two countries. [China Daily]
China is part of an ongoing story in Malaysia, as the fallout from the demotion of Tourism Malaysia’s Director General by the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture rumbles on. The Minister cited a failure to “accelerate economic growth from Malaysia’s tourism industry” as the rationale. “For example, we target the influx of 5 million tourists from China… But he said he could only bring in 3 million tourists. But in the end, he only managed to bring in 1.6 million tourists.” Ouch. [Focus Malaysia]
And on to Macau, where the post-pandemic economic uplift from tourism continues to skyrocket. After a highly destructive period from 2020-2022, the Ministry of Economic & Finance expects GDP to recover to 90% of its 2019 level this year. In the first 6 weeks of 2024, Macau averaged 108,000 visitors per day. [Macau Business]
Image Source: JNTO
Japan’s slow outbound recovery in 2023 contrasted notably from a surge of inbound visitors to the country. However, 2024 is looking more positive. Figures released this week by the JNTO show 836,800 resident outbound travellers in January - up 89% from the same 2023 month, but down 42% compared to 2019. [JNTO]
Student travel doesn’t get much coverage, so it’s great to see a good friend of The South East Asia Travel Show, Pauline Suharno, referencing it in regional terms regarding the Whoosh high-speed railway in Indonesia. “There are so many requests from students and corporations throughout ASEAN for the Jakarta to Bandung tour,” said the Chair of ASTINDO (the Indonesian Travel Agents Association). [Antara]
Another interesting niche segment story from the Philippines, where the Tourism Secretary announced that dive tourism generated PHP73 billion (approx. USD1.3 billion) for the national economy in 2023. To tap growing demand for diving trips, the nation will promote 120 dive destinations across the archipelago in 2024. [The Manila Times]
And finally to… Myanmar, where the Ministry of Health issued its first significant change to post-Covid arrival procedures since 1 September 2023. From last Friday (1 March), visitors of all visa categories are no longer required to purchase compulsory travel/health insurance from Myanma Insurance to enter the country.
And, that’s a wrap for Issue 131.
The Asia Travel Re:Set newsletter will return next Sunday.
Until then, find me at LinkedIn and The South East Asia Travel Show
Happy travels,
Gary