Thailand Tourism is Reviving as International Arrivals Increase

Thailand welcomed 11.15 million foreign visitors in 2022, exceeding the government’s target for the year and implying that the country’s tourism sector will continue to recover this year, according to the country’s tourism ministry.

This was still far short of the 40 million or so international arrivals that the country had prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. However, this is a significant increase from the 428,000 visitors the country received in 2021, when access was complicated by a slew of pandemic-related travel restrictions.

According to ministry data, the top three source markets for the country in 2022 will be Malaysia, India, and Singapore.

This is obviously good news for Thailand, whose economy is the second largest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but which is also unusually reliant on tourism. While the country managed to contain COVID-19 with relative success in 2020, the shutdowns and collapse in international travel brought international tourism to a halt. This contributed to the country experiencing the second-worst recession of the ten ASEAN nations that year, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reporting that its economy contracted by 6.1 percent.

Thai tourism officials are now aiming for 25 million international visitors by 2023, a target that will be greatly aided by the resumption of outbound tourism from China following Beijing’s earlier this month decision to abandon “zero COVID” and its associated travel restrictions. Thailand received a record 11.5 million visitors in 2019, but China’s protracted flirtation with its wacky “zero COVID” policy has slowed Thailand’s expected recovery.

Indeed, the return of Chinese outbound tourism has been warmly received throughout the region. Reuters reported this week that Filipinos dressed in traditional attire “played bamboo marimbas and handed out necklaces and gifts” to the first Chinese visitors to return to the country since the pandemic. Indonesian authorities put on a similar show in Denpasar, Bali, where the first direct flight from China in three years landed to an honor guard of traditionally dressed Balinese hostesses and lion dances to commemorate the Lunar New Year.

Meanwhile, at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing personally greeted Chinese visitors arriving from Fuzhou with Lunar New Year souvenirs this weekend.

In 2019, the Philippines and Indonesia welcomed 1.7 million and 2 million Chinese visitors, respectively. However, as in Thailand, this fell dramatically last year, with only 39,627 visitors in the Philippines and around 100,000 in Indonesia. Malaysia experienced a similar decline, but has set an ambitious goal of attracting 5 million Chinese tourists this year, a 60% increase over the 3.1 million who visited in 2019.

In a related development, Singapore’s government announced this week that it is on track to fully recover its tourism sector by 2024. According to tourism officials, the city-state received 6.3 million visitors last year, down from 19.1 million in 2019, but slightly more than the government’s forecast of 4-6 million.

Singapore, like its neighbors, will benefit from the return of Chinese outbound travel. In 2019, the country welcomed 3.6 million visitors from China, the country’s single largest source of foreign arrivals.

 

 

 

 

Source : thediplomat

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Cambodia’s Tourism Recovery Rate is 26.3% 

Though tourism in Southeast Asia is recovering from the Covid virus, Cambodia ranks third among ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, with a 26.3 percent recovery rate from pre-pandemic levels.

According to the Tourism Advisory Board of Vietnam, Singapore ranks first with a 30.9 percent recovery rate, while Malaysia ranks second with a 27.5 percent recovery rate. Following Cambodia, Indonesia ranks fourth with a 22.9 percent recovery rate. Thailand is sixth with a 22 percent recovery rate, while the Philippines is fifth with a 22.1 percent recovery rate.

According to the Tourism Advisory Board, Vietnam’s recovery rate from pre-pandemic levels is only 18.1 percent, trailing neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia. It has also proposed several measures, such as relaxing Visa requirements, to help the country’s tourism sector recover faster.

Given the increasing number of international tourists, Cambodia hopes to welcome two million or more visitors by the end of the year and achieve pre-Covid levels of tourist arrivals by 2026 or 2027.

“In 2022, Cambodia is expected to receive about 2.2 million foreign tourists,” said a senior Tourism Ministry official. Before Covid struck in 2019, Cambodia had received over 7 million global tourists. Continuing with the trend of increasing footfalls during January-October 2022, the number of international arrivals increased by 991.1 percent compared with 10 months of the previous year, according to the Tourism Statistics Report for October 2022, released on November 30 and shared with Khmer Times by the Ministry of Tourism.

“The Thai tourism market ranks first with 590,000 tourists, accounting for 37.5 percent of the foreign arrivals, followed by Vietnam, China, the United States, Laos, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, France, and the United Kingdom,” said the Ministry of Tourism spokesman Top Sopheak.

According to the Tourism Statistics Report, the Asia-Pacific region was the Kingdom’s primary source of visitors.

To attract more foreign tourists, particularly from outside the ASEAN neighborhood, the Kingdom is attempting to establish direct air links with the destinations from which a large number of tourists originate, including India, which sends a large number of tourists around the world.

 

 

 

 

Source : khmertimeskh

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Legendary Luxurious Resorts in South East Asia For Your Getaway

These legendary luxurious resorts in South East Asia are ideal for soaking in the rays, splashing in the surf, and living the high life. They’ll make for the most satisfying weekend or short getaway getaways, with luxury living at their core, so you can expect a weekend of pure happiness.

From white sand and pure blue oceans to lush woods and majestic mountains, these resorts in Southeast Asia will satisfy all of your trip wishes, especially if you’re a nature lover and looking a place for your peace of mind.

  1. Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort, Thailand

One of the Luxurious resorts in ASEAN is Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort, located in the center of Phang Nga Bay, midway between Phuket and Krabi, offers tourists a look into rich traditional Thai culture, southern culinary delights, and beaches dotted with coconut and palm trees. The 148-key property here provides a pristine island escape, with 1km of private white sandy beach situated against a background of towering limestone formations that line Phang Nga Bay. One- and two-bedroom beachfront pool villas, as well as ocean-view large suites and penthouses, provide opulent living, and an ocean-facing dining restaurant serves produce-driven Thai and Asian dishes when you’re hungry.

  1. One and Only Desaru Coast, Malaysia

Check out the Desaru coast, a gorgeous white beach on Malaysia’s south-eastern shoreline. The One & Only Desaru Coast, also known as the Palm Village, offers a beautiful refuge in its Rainforest Suites, Ocean Suites, and Villas near the sea. These quiet rooms are ideal for lazing around and watching the world go by, whether by the al fresco eating space, tropical veranda, or private plunge pool.

  1. Amanjiwo, Indonesia

Amanjiwo marked itself as one of the luxurious resorts in South East Asia. It is set against the emerald-green countryside of Java, Indonesia. The vistas at this ultimate sanctuary are accentuated by the presence of Borobudur, the world’s biggest Buddhist temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which extends beyond the horizon. Many Hollywood celebrities, like Richard Gere has stayed in this resort. Amanjiwo’s suites cascade down the slopes and are distinctively furnished with outdoor spas, private pools, terraces, pavilions, and romantic huge four-pillar beds.

 

  1. Rosewood Luang Prabang, Laos

The Rosewood Luang Prabang, designed by the acclaimed Bill Bensley, wonderfully embodies the romantic atmosphere of bygone Indochina while surrounded by a tropical jungle and beautiful waterfalls. This picturesque resort offers a natural retreat, royal Laotian culinary experiences, and a traditional Lao heritage therapeutic spa all in one. Another enjoyable experience is the Royal Laotian Cooking Class, which will take you from scouting for ingredients in the forest to learning to cook near a waterfall.

Source : Lifestyle Asia

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