Visa-free travel boosts Southeast Asian tourism

Industry bounces back from slump, with Chinese spending habits driving growth

An influx of Chinese travelers in the past few months has enabled Southeast Asia’s tourism industry to recover from the pandemic-induced slump, analysts say.

While China has long been one of the key travel markets for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, decisions made by Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand last year to waive entry requirements for Chinese tourists bolstered tourism receipts in the first two months of this year.

Visa-free access for Chinese tourists is a “facilitating factor” in boosting ASEAN tourism industry receipts, said John Paolo Rivera, associate director of the Dr Andrew L. Tan Center…