Covid-19 hit Asia first, and the region is also home to a big share of countries that seem to be weathering the crisis well. The apparent public health success stories have yet to bring a vibrant regional travel scene, as international travel within Asia remains limited, but a gradual return has begun.
Chinese provinces, looking to stimulate more domestic demand, are slashing prices for some attraction tickets. In Guizhou province, 420 attractions already offered free admission from April through July. But China is an exception in the region as a country big enough to weather the storm with inter-province travelers. In countries like Thailand and Vietnam, where inbound tourism plays an outsized role in local economies.
Flights are key to international travel in Asia, which has very limited land connections due to a combination of geography and infrastructure development. India is completely closed to international flights and Southeast Asia remains mostly closed as well. But activity is slowly ramping back up in China, Korea and Japan, which have begun to reopen flights between their three countries as well as some connections to other parts of the region.
What does gradual domestic, and eventually regional, reopening mean for the tours, activities and attractions community in the Asia-Pacific region? Is there enough certainty for operators to target neighboring countries with marketing campaigns? What are the lessons learned over the past several months by the region’s operators, OTAs, tech providers, and tourism organizations?
Join the Arival Virtual Summit Asia Pacific to discuss these questions and more with your peers and local power players.
