Up and down: ForwardKeys data shows that bookings in the Philippines were at 65% whereas Thailand’s stood at 24%. — Bloomberg/Reuters
The ForwardKeys data showed Singapore and Philippines bookings were at 72% and 65% of 2019 levels respectively, while Thailand was at just 24%. Asia, though, is lagging a recovery in other regions including Europe, which eased restrictions months ago. Thailand will take until 2026 to make a full recovery, the governor of its central bank said on Monday.Travel and tourism in South-East Asia – known for its white sand beaches, historical architecture and warm climate – contributed US$380.6bil to the region’s GDP in 2019, or 11.8% of the total, according to World Travel & Tourism Council.
A third of the travellers to South-East Asia so far this year were from Europe, up from 22% in 2019, while those from North America have more than doubled to 21% from 9% in 2019, according to ForwardKeys.“Things changed a lot for the better over the last month. We are seeing a boom in bookings,” said Rabil Lian, a tour guide with a top Singaporean travel agency, who recently got his job back after filling a temporary government job through the pandemic.