With the vigorous promotion by the governments of Southeast Asian countries, the recovery of regional tourism has gained momentum. From the Grand Palace in Thailand to the Katong Night Market in Brunei, and from the Zhenghe Cultural District in Malacca, Malaysia to the ancient street business district in Hanoi, Vietnam, the crowds are buzzing with excitement. The latest statistics from Ctrip show that the number of orders for Chinese tourists traveling to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand during the Chinese New Year 2024 has increased sharply compared with the same period last year. The strong Chinese New Year flavor and colorful Year of the Dragon celebrations have made Southeast Asia a popular destination for outbound Chinese tourists this Spring Festival.

　　Tourist arrivals in many countries exceeded expected targets

　　Tourism in Southeast Asian countries performed well in 2023. The latest data released by Thailand's tourism department recently showed that the country received more than 28 million foreign tourists in 2023, realizing a tourism revenue of 1 trillion baht (1 yuan is about 5 baht). Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports Sutthawan said the tourism sector in 2023 has achieved its expected targets, giving impetus to the country's economic growth.

　　Data from Vietnam's General Statistics Office (GSO) showed 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 2023 continues to receive several awards from the United Nations Tourism Organization (UNTO), including being named the World's Leading Heritage Destination for the fourth time and Asia's Leading Tourism Destination for the fifth time.

　　Laos 2023 was honored as one of the most attractive destinations by National Geographic. Many tourists are impressed by the country's unique natural landscape, diverse ethnic cultures, and peaceful and pleasant living atmosphere.The country received 2.4 million foreign visitors in the first three quarters of 2023, an increase of 285 percent year-on-year, and is expected to receive 2.9 to 3.3 million foreign visitors for the whole year.

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

　　Based on the data of the first 11 months of 2023, the international travel information media "Travel Daily" said recently that the recovery rate of Cambodia's tourism industry is 92.48 percent, while the recovery rates of Vietnam and Indonesia's tourism industry are 82.25 percent and 74.11 percent, respectively. The media outlet noted that Southeast Asia's tourism industry grew significantly in 2023, with the number of international tourist arrivals as well as the aviation and hospitality sectors showing good development.

　　The online booking of travel business in Southeast Asian countries is also showing rapid growth. According to a report jointly released by Google, Temasek and Bain 2023, Indonesia's online travel penetration rate is about 45%, and the online travel market is growing at a CAGR of 10-15%.In 2023, online travel drove Malaysia's related industries to grow by US$4 billion, a 49% increase year-on-year.

　　Multi-measures to build a unique tourism brand

　　In order to promote the development of their own tourism industry and attract more foreign tourists, Southeast Asian countries have taken various measures to build their own tourism brands according to local conditions and advantages.

Since the launch of the "Cambodia Tourism Year" in the first half of 2023, Cambodia has organized dozens of events such as river festivals and marathons across the country to attract domestic and foreign tourists. Various regions in Vietnam have been actively promoting tourism and launching a number of new tourism products to attract more foreign tourists. For example, Hanoi launched 15 night tourism products for the first time to tap new growth points in the tourism industry.

　　Malaysia has launched a number of thematic tourism products, which allow visitors to not only experience the beauty of nature in an immersive way in tropical rainforests, islands and national parks, but also to dive and explore under the sea. Malaysia's unique bird resources and rich ecosystems provide an unforgettable experience for bird-watching enthusiasts.

　　In Indonesia, the Bali-based Sanur Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will be officially operational this year. This is the country's first health special economic zone, which will provide health tourism and rehabilitation services for both domestic and foreign tourists in Indonesia.

　　Some countries are actively improving their airports and other infrastructures to better meet the travel needs of tourists. 2023 saw the opening of a new terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, which can accommodate up to 28 planes at the same time, and will be able to transport 15 million passengers annually. Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, a joint venture between China and Cambodia, opened late last year. The airport's passenger throughput will be 7 million per year at the beginning of its operation, and will increase to 10 million in 2030 and 20 million in 2050.

　　This year, regional countries continue to increase tourism promotion. Laos has launched a tourism policy of "Everyone Travels to Laos" and organized the "Year of Lao Tourism". During this period, 79 related activities will be organized in various parts of the country. The country proposes to attract more than 4.6 million domestic and foreign tourists this year, with tourism revenue striving to reach US$712 million. The Indonesian government plans to create 4.4 million tourism-related jobs by 2024, and plans to invest US$1.2 billion in personnel training and marketing to boost tourism recovery.

　　Standard & Poor's Global Market Research recently released the "2024 ASEAN Economic Outlook" that the tourism industry is the economic pillar of many countries in Southeast Asia, with the continued expansion of domestic demand in Southeast Asian countries, the international tourism industry is expected to return to the level of the pre-Singaporean epidemic, it is expected that this year, the tourism industry in the region will continue to grow.

　　Actively attract Chinese tourists to visit

　　This Spring Festival, many Chinese tourists will be Southeast Asian countries as a tourist destination. Alipay outbound travel data show that during the Spring Festival holiday, Chinese tourists spent nearly six times more than in 2023 in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Among them, Thailand topped the list of spending money, Malaysia is also a bright performance, is the three countries in Chinese tourists spending the largest increase in the country.

　　A number of Southeast Asian countries have introduced visa-free policies to attract more Chinese tourists to visit them, and by the end of 2023, Malaysia had implemented visa-free access for Chinese nationals 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 enter into force on March 1st. Recently, major travel platforms have ushered in a search boom for popular attractions in both countries. Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy said the country is considering a visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens.

　　Chinese signs have been added to airports, tourist attractions and other places in some countries to facilitate Chinese tourists to travel and visit. After landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia, the reporter followed the Chinese signs and quickly completed the entry procedures. If you need to apply for phone cards, foreign currency exchange, car rental and other businesses, the corresponding counter also has a detailed Chinese guide. At Vietnam Da Nang International Airport, passenger information, terminal maps, the airport website, restaurant and cafe menus are all available in Chinese, and the airport has also produced a complete set of Chinese e-guide booklets, which travelers can self-scan and use.

　　Some Southeast Asian countries have also partnered with Chinese companies to facilitate the use of digital services such as mobile payments by Chinese tourists in the region. Thailand's Bangkok light rail has accepted WeChat payment for tickets at all 68 stations on the deep green and light green lines. The reporter learned that some services on Chinese mobile payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat can now be used in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and other countries.

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

　　Thai National Tourism Administration (TNTA) Director General Tapeni told this reporter that Chinese tourists are warmly welcomed to visit Thailand. By reintegrating tourism products and attraction resources, the Thai tourism sector expects to further enhance the satisfaction of Chinese tourists and create a pleasant and memorable travel experience for them.