Visa Free for Chinese Tourists Saves ASEAN Tourism

Holiday Ayo - China is one of the main tourism markets for ASEAN members. The joint breakthrough of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to waive visa requirements for Chinese tourists is bearing fruit.
This strategy is considered to increase tourism receipts in the three countries in the first two months of this year.
Associate director of the Dr Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism at the Asian Institute of Management Philippines, John Paolo Rivera, said that visa-free access for Chinese tourists was a supporting factor in increasing acceptance of the ASEAN tourism industry.
He said Chinese tourists were the biggest spenders among tourists in Southeast Asia.
“Along with the volume of Chinese tourists, Chinese people's spending habits have driven consumption spending and tourism's contribution to GDP in Southeast Asia," he said.
He added that tourist spending has helped the ASEAN tourism industry recover from the losses experienced during the pandemic.
In fact, Chinese tourist spending may have created the biggest impact on Singapore. Official data shows that international visitor arrivals to Singapore reached 13.6 million and China was in the top three last year.
The Singapore Tourism Board explained that tourism receipts reached USD 15 billion USD (around IDR 238.8 trillion) in the first nine months of last year and Chinese tourists were the biggest spenders, reaching more than USD 1.7 billion USD (around IDR 27.06 trillion).
Senior researcher at the East Asian Institute National University of Singapore, Yu Hong, said that the visa-free agreement which started on February 9 increased the number of visitors from China to Singapore.
Especially during the spring festival. Yu explained that Singapore has always been a popular spot for Chinese tourists because of its geographical proximity, cultural similarities, and direct flights to and from cities in China.
In Malaysia, officials welcomed passengers on China Eastern Airlines' inaugural flight on March 16. The flight was from Kunming in Yunnan Province to Kuala Lumpur.
Director General of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Agency, Manoharan Periasamy, said that the new route provided a great opportunity to bring in more Chinese tourists.
Especially when the visa-free policy has been in effect since December 1. In 2024, Malaysia targets 27.3 million international tourist arrivals, with 5 million of them estimated to come from China.
Meanwhile, 3.96 million foreign tourists arrived in Thailand from January 1 to February 8. Thai government spokesman Chai Wacharonke explained that tourists from China topped the rankings with 730,747 visitors.








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