Depth report

　　

With the strong promotion of the governments of Southeast Asian countries, the recovery momentum of regional tourism is strong. From the Grand Palace in Thailand to the Katong Night Market in Brunei, from the Zheng He Cultural district in Malacca in Malaysia to the Old Street business district in Hanoi in Vietnam, the crowds are bustling and lively. Ctrip's latest statistics show that during the 2024 Spring Festival, the number of orders for Chinese tourists to travel to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand increased significantly compared with the same period last year. The strong New Year flavor and colorful celebrations of the Year of the Dragon have made Southeast Asia a popular destination for Chinese tourists to travel abroad during this year's Spring Festival.

The number of international visitors exceeded the target

2023 Southeast Asian tourism is doing well. The latest data released by Thailand's tourism department shows that the country will receive more than 28 million foreign tourists in 2023, achieving 1 trillion baht (1 yuan is about 5 baht). Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports Sutharwan said that the 2023 tourism industry has achieved its expected target and injected impetus into Thailand's economic growth.

Statistics from Vietnam's General Bureau of Statistics show that the country received about 12.6 million foreign tourists in 2023, exceeding the target of 8 million set at the beginning of the year. Vietnam continued to receive several awards from the United Nations Tourism Organization in 2023, including being named the World's Leading Heritage Destination for the fourth time and Asia's leading tourist destination for the fifth time.

Laos was named one of the most attractive places to visit in 2023 by National Geographic magazine. Many visitors are impressed by the country's unique natural landscape, diverse ethnic cultures and peaceful and pleasant living atmosphere. In the first three quarters of 2023, the country received 2.4 million foreign tourists, up 285% year-on-year, and is expected to receive 2.9 million to 3.3 million foreign tourists for the whole year.

According to Sandhyaga Uno, Indonesia's Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, the number of international tourists in 2023 is expected to reach more than 11 million, exceeding the preset target. According to statistics released by Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism, the country received 4.9 million foreign tourists from January to November 2023, and the total number of foreign tourists for the whole year is expected to be 5.4 million.

Take multiple measures to build a characteristic tourism brand

In order to promote the development of domestic tourism and attract more foreign tourists, Southeast Asian countries have adapted their local conditions and leveraged their advantages to create tourism brands with their own characteristics.

Since the launch of the "Cambodia Tourism Year" campaign in the first half of 2023, dozens of events such as river festivals and marathons have been held across the country to attract domestic and foreign tourists. Tourism promotion activities have been actively carried out across Vietnam, and several new tourism products have been launched to attract more foreign tourists. For example, Hanoi launched 15 night tourism products for the first time to tap new growth points in tourism.

Malaysia has launched a number of themed tourism products, tourists can not only immerse in the beauty of nature in tropical forests, islands and national parks and other attractions, but also underwater diving adventure. Malaysia's unique bird resources and rich ecosystem provide an unforgettable experience for bird watchers.

Some countries have actively improved infrastructure such as airports to better meet the travel needs of tourists. In September 2023, the new terminal of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand was officially opened, which can take off and land up to 28 aircraft at the same time, and can transport 15 million passengers per year. Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, jointly built by China and Cambodia, was officially put into operation at the end of last year. The airport will initially handle 7 million passengers per year, increasing to 10 million in 2030 and 20 million in 2050.

According to the "ASEAN Economic Outlook 2024" recently released by Standard & Poor's Global Market research Institute, tourism is the economic pillar of Southeast Asian countries, and it is expected that the tourism industry in the region will continue to grow this year as domestic demand in Southeast Asian countries continues to expand and international tourism is expected to return to the pre-COVID-19 level.

Actively attract Chinese tourists to visit

Some countries in Southeast Asia have introduced visa-free policies to attract more Chinese tourists. At the end of 2023, Malaysia will implement visa-free measures for Chinese citizens within 30 days of entry. On January 28 this year, China and Thailand signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports, which will come into effect on March 1. Recently, major travel platforms have seen a search boom for popular attractions in the two countries. Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy said the country is considering a visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens.

Some countries' airports, tourist attractions and other places have added Chinese signs to facilitate Chinese tourists to travel and visit. After landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia, the reporter quickly completed the entry formalities according to the Chinese signs. If you need to handle phone cards, foreign currency exchange, car rental and other services, the corresponding counter also has a detailed Chinese guide. At Da Nang International Airport in Vietnam, passenger instructions, terminal maps, airport website, restaurant and cafe menus are all available in Chinese, and the airport has also produced a complete set of electronic guides in Chinese that passengers can use by self-scanning codes.

Some Southeast Asian countries are also working with Chinese companies to facilitate the use of digital services such as mobile payments by Chinese tourists in the region. The light rail in Bangkok, Thailand, has accepted wechat Payment for tickets at all 68 stations on the Dark Green and Light Green Lines. The reporter learned that at present, some services on China's mobile payment platforms such as Alipay and wechat can be used in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and other countries.

Many airlines plan to add new routes or flights. On January 19, Vietnam Airlines added a new direct flight route from Shanghai Pudong to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. Thai Airways will increase the number of flights from major Chinese cities to and from Bangkok from March 31, and the round-trip flights between Bangkok and Kunming and Chengdu will be increased from five and four per week to seven.