VietTimes - The Asia-Pacific tourism industry is witnessing strong growth, as air travel demand this year is e...
VietTimes - The Asia-Pacific tourism industry is witnessing strong growth, as air travel demand this year is expected to equal pre-pandemic levels, thanks to Chinese tourists.
Passengers line up for procedures at an international airport in Yantai, Shandong province, China (Photo: Getty)
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), regional travel demand in December 2023 improved to nearly 83% compared to 2019 levels, up from only 57% in January of the same year. These figures are forecasted to continue improving.
"The current environment remains positive for most airlines," Willie Walsh, CEO of IATA, told CNBC. He added that demand is "slightly below" pre-pandemic levels and that the goal is expected to be achieved this year.
Experts believe that Chinese tourists will drive this demand, especially as they visit destinations in Southeast Asia.
James Sullivan, head of equity research for the Asia-Pacific region at JPMorgan, said that Chinese tourists' demand for travel in Southeast Asia increased significantly in January.
"The number of visitors to other countries in the region is still growing strongly, but from the perspective of increased flows, we believe that ASEAN will benefit the most," Sullivan said.
Research from Citi shows that the total number of Chinese outbound tourists reached 3.6 million during the Lunar New Year holiday from February 10 to February 17, with the majority going to ASEAN countries. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia are their top 5 destinations.
Outside of the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, and Australia are popular destinations for Chinese tourists.
According to data from travel analytics company Cirium, this year's Lunar New Year saw more Chinese people traveling abroad than in 2023.
Thailand welcomed the highest number of Chinese tourists during this period, with flight bookings increasing fourfold to 149,159 this year from 35,094 during the previous Lunar New Year.
The number of flight bookings from China to Singapore increased nearly sixfold to 64,469 flights this year from 10,873 flights in 2023.
"The visa waiver initiatives introduced in recent months may be a contributing factor to this trend, with Thailand waiving visa requirements and Singapore offering 30 days of visa-free travel to Chinese citizens," said June Lee, Cirium's marketing director.
She added that flights from China to Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are expected to increase by 87% from March to June compared to the same period last year.
Via Viettimes