Covid 19 - Sea

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
THE IMPACT
OF COVID-19
ON THE
SOUTHEAST
ASIAN WEEKLY SUMMARY
TOURISM 24 MAY 2020
INDUSTRY
Hannah Pearson
hannah@pearanderson.com
INTRODUCTION
As a market highly dependent on both Chinese outbound tourism and the Chinese
economy, Southeast Asia is a region which was heavily affected by COVID-19 even
in the early months of 2020.
With the declaration of a pandemic, as well as the closing of borders and

imposition of lockdowns, Southeast Asia’s tourism economy will continue to be
impacted for the foreseeable future.
Each week, we round up some of the key news stories for each country within
ASEAN and send it straight to your inbox on Sunday evening. You can sign up to
receive our email at https://insights.pearanderson.com/sea-covid-summary.
IMPACT SUMMARY
Week ending Sunday 24th May 2020
INBOUND TRAVEL OUTBOUND TRAVEL
COUNTRY LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS RESTRICTIONS CASES DEATHS
Cambodia Partial Visa restrictions Discouraged 124 0

Indonesia Partial Not permitted Flight restriction 22,271 1,372
Laos Partial Not permitted Discouraged 19 0
Malaysia Partial Not permitted Not permitted 7,245 115
Myanmar Partial Not permitted Flight restriction 201 6
Philippines Partial Not permitted Not permitted 14,035 868
Singapore Lockdown Not permitted Discouraged 31,616 23
Thailand Partial Not permitted Flight restriction 3,040 56
Vietnam None Not permitted Not permitted 325 0
Data accurate as of 20:35 (UTC+8) on 24 May 2020

Partial lockdown = closure of schools or some non-essential services (e.g. entertainment), recommendation to work from home
Lockdown = closure of all non-essential businesses, restricted movement
COVID-19 case & death statuses from John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
Domestic travel on the rise in the past 2 weeks but 99%

CAMBODIA of tourism businesses are closed.
On Page 4 • 250,000 tourists visited popular destinations • Ban on travellers from certain countries lifted,
throughout Cambodia from 4-17 May, up by 50% but visas and entry requirements remain difficult
Celebrations for Eid underway but lockdown restrictions

INDONESIA extended in Jakarta as cases grow.
On Page 9 • Bali been ranked 2nd destination globally in the • Lion Air Group have cut salaries but say no job
wishlists of Booking.com’s customers cuts are planned
Lockdown restrictions continue to be lifted,

LAOS international borders still remain closed.
On Page 18 • Domestic travel is now permitted in Laos • The Laos tourism board may be re-established
Pear Anderson Sign up for weekly updates via email 24 May 2020 Update
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Government creates confusion suggesting travel agents

MALAYSIA are able to refund customer deposits.
On Page 20 • MATTA wants the government to develop its own • International tourism traffic could perhaps be
health and safety accreditation expected in Dec according to Tourism Malaysia
Curfew hours eased; tourism roadmap developed.

MYANMAR
On Page 29 • Zero budget Chinese group tours will not be • Myanmar’s tourism industry expects to remain
encouraged, according to Ministry closed for the rest of 2020
Tourism arrivals for Jan-Apr drop 54.02% YoY.

PHILIPPINES
On Page 32 • Revised hotel standards will be launched by the • Philippine Airlines is not in “immediate danger of
DOT bankruptcy
Singaporeans looking to next phase of easing lockdown

SINGAPORE on 1 Jun.
On Page 40 • Transit through Singapore’s Changi Airport will • Investigating feasibility of green lanes with
be permitted from 2 Jun selected countries who have lower/ same risk of
community transmission
Thailand rebranded to “Amazing Trusted Thailand”,

THAILAND positions itself as “safe haven”.
On Page 48 • Phase 3 of easing lockdown restrictions could • Thai Airways will need to dismiss 6,000
start on 1 Jun employees as part of the bankruptcy procedure
Domestic tourism continues with strong development;

VIETNAM international promotions timetabled
On Page 60 • Southeast & Northeast Asia first markets to be • Search results for domestic flights in Vietnam
targeted by VNAT’s promotion programs in Q4 has increased by 85% YoY
CAMBODIA
Tourism industry may lose up to $856 million
TRAVEL All visa exemptions, visas on arrival and e-visas are suspended. Travellers must
RESTRICTIONS
have valid medical certificates issued 72hrs prior to travel, be tested for COVID-19
upon arrival and undertake a 14-day self-isolation with a re-test on the 14th day
(IATA).
LOCKDOWN Schools closed nationwide until further notice, while all museums, karaoke
STATUS
parlours, casinos, spas and massage parlours and cinemas are closed. Large
religious gatherings are banned.
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Cambodia
Future flight search for travel to Cambodia
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard
INBOUND
NEW 24 May: Sihanoukville is developing a new recreational beach for domestic and
international visitors >>
NEW 23 May: The ban on travellers entering Cambodia from Iran, Italy, Germany, Spain,
France and the USA has been lifted. New entry requirements for all travellers
include a COVID-19 negative health certificate within the last 72 hours of
departure, a COVID-19 test on arrival and proof of medical insurance of a value of
at least $50k USD. If one passenger on a flight tests positive, all passengers on the
flight will need to be quarantined for 14 days in a government facility. Otherwise,
travellers will be allowed to self-isolate at home or in a hotel for 2 weeks, and
must be retested at the end of the period >>
NEW 22 May: 2,865 tourism businesses have either been suspended or closed. Mar ’20
still saw 190,000 Cambodian and international tourists visiting resorts and tourism
sites in Cambodia >>
NEW 22 May: More than 250,000 tourists visited popular destinations throughout
Cambodia from 4-17 May, an increase of 50% vs the previous fortnight, with eco
spots particularly popular >>
NEW 21 May: Details have still yet to be given on how the fiscal stimulus plans will
work, including for the SME fund of $500-600 million of low-interest loans >>
NEW 20 May: Museums will be reopened in June, the government announced >>
NEW 19 May: Cambodia would welcome any US airline who wishes to start a route to
Cambodia, either for cargo or passengers >>
NEW 18 May: The Tourism Ministry expects the industry to jump back post pandemic,
but that local and international tourists will be more concerned by hygiene, so
accommodation operators should upgrade their services and facilities >>
NEW 18 May: The government is seeking input from tourism industry players as to how
they are affected and the measures needed to support them. The President of the
Cambodia Association of Travel Agents said that as many as 99% of tourism
businesses are closed. She estimates that 630,000 people in the tourism sector
have been affected >>
17 May: The Tourism Minister is optimistic that Chinese tourists will support
Cambodia’s tourism growth post epidemic, due to the mutual trust between the 2
countries. It will continue to promote its “China Ready” strategy >>
15 May: The Tourism Ministry has said that the number of tourist arrivals at Siem
Reap Intl Airport in April “has plummeted even more” >>
13 May: Schools may open only in November >>
12 May: The Ministry of Tourism urged all accommodation providers to improve

their service quality and focus on hygiene. As of 17 Apr, the department said that
46,369 tourism workers have been affected, not including the informal workers.
282 hotels have also been affected and 405 guesthouses closed. 100 tour guides
have also suspended their licenses >>
12 May: The construction of the new airport in Siem Reap is continuing as planned,
in spite of COVID-19, and is set to complete in 2023, with a long-term aim of
being able to handle 20 million pax annually >>
11 May: Cambodia Angkor Air believe that air travel will take at least 12-15
months to recover, but that it will continue to operate flights as it is the national
flag carrier >>
05 May: Cambodia Angkor Air, China Air and Eva Air all reopened flights to Phnom
Penh at the start of this month. Other airlines, such as Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways
and Emirates are planning to reinstate routes in Jun and Jul >>
05 May: New guidelines will be issued by the Ministry of Tourism for health
standards in tourism-related businesses. These guidelines have been praised by
the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, saying that they will help domestic
tourism >>
04 May: Foreign arrivals to Cambodia in Q1 dropped by 38% YoY, with just 1.15
million arrivals >>
04 May: Chinese tourists will be a major market for Cambodia that will lead
international arrivals according to the Ministry of Tourism. They predict that within
4-5 months, the number of foreign visitors will increase x2 or even x3 >>
02 May: Angkor Wat has seen a drop of 99.5% in April, with just 654 entrance
passes bought >>
30 Apr: The State of Emergency legislation, which is designed to help counter

COVID-19 amongst other issues, was signed into law on 29 Apr >>
29 Apr: In the 2nd week of March, >190,000 Cambodian and expat travellers
continued to visit resorts and tourist attractions in Cambodia >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 45% in
2020, with a loss of $0.87 billion USD in revenue and 770,000 jobs >>
09 Apr: The President of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents has stated that
she expects it to take at least 6 months for people to start taking holidays, and the
long-haul market could be even longer. 30,000 in the tourism sector are now
unemployed; 10,000 of whom worked at tour operators, 10,000 at hotels, 6,000

were tour guides and others worked in restaurants >>
09 Apr: Khmer New Year holidays cancelled. Interprovincial travel has been
banned until 16 Apr, covering the entire Khmer New Year period >>
06 Apr: 10 major business events that were to take place in Cambodia from Mar to
Aug this year have been postponed or cancelled >>
02 Apr: Cambodia could lose between $345 - $856 million USD in tourism revenue
according to the Asian Development Bank >>
31 Mar: The Cambodian government has issued fiscal measures to support the
tourism industry, including:
• Minimum 3-month 10% tax exemption for aviation sector (until May), plus
debt repayment plan can be paid in installments following suspension of
operations
• Tourism operators such as hotels, restaurants and aviation agencies in
Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Kep and Kampot are exempted
from monthly tax
• For employees: 20% of salary to be sponsored by the government, but must
attend a 1 - 2 weeks short skills course organised by the Ministry of
Tourism >>
29 Mar: Cambodia will no longer issue tourist and entry visas for one month
starting on 30 Mar. Travellers with valid visas only allowed to enter with proof of
negative test >>
19 Mar: The number of tourists to Cambodia in Jan & Feb declined by 30% vs. last
year >>
18 Mar: Projected 250,000 workers could lose their jobs in a worst-case scenario of
the Asian Development Bank >>
25 Feb: Hotels and guesthouses in Siem Reap province to get a 4-month tax
exemption, and Angkor Wat’s admission prices are to be reduced. >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 21 May: Asiana Airlines plans to increase the number of flights from Seoul to
Phnom Penh >>
04 May: Outbound Cambodian tourists decreased 32% YoY to 308,350 >>
30 Apr: Cambodia Airports revealed that the number of pax flying in/ out of the
country has dropped by 96% daily, with just 6 or 7 mainly domestic flights. From
1-27 Apr, the daily average was just 524 pax, vs. 31,410 YoY >>
16 Apr: International traffic in/ out of Cambodia has dropped by over 90%, with
limited flights from Korea, Japan and China remaining >>
08 Apr: Cambodia Airways is still committed to expanding post COVID-19 >>
19 Mar: Cambodia Airways has reduced 40% of flights across Asia >>
INDONESIA
Forecasted losses of $10 billion USD
TRAVEL Passengers are not allowed to transit or enter Indonesia (IATA). Non-essential
RESTRICTIONS
outbound travel advised to be restricted. Domestic flights permitted with social
distancing.
LOCKDOWN Jakarta, Bekasi, Bogor, Depok, Pekanbaru, Surabaya, West Java and West Sumatra’s
STATUS
schools, workplaces are closed, religious and socio-cultural events are restricted
and limited public transportation available. Jakarta restrictions until 4 Jun, Jakarta
satellite towns until 26 May.
INDONESIA
100 80.00 82.00 85.00 83.00 81.00
72.00 73.00 78.00 75.00 78.00 77.00 77.00
80
60
40 56.00 63.00
20 45.00 48.00 48.00 48.00 47.00 46.00 51.00
35.00 38.00
0
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they will
contract COVID-19
% of people in each country who say they are: avoiding physical contact with tourists
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
I N D ON ESI A TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS Q1 2 0 2 0
CHA N GE % YOY
5.9%
INDONESIA
-28.9%
-64.1%
Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20
Source: Statistics Indonesia
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Indonesia
Future flight search for travel to Indonesia
NEW 22 May: Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport will ask pax to undergo a compulsory swab test
from 28 May, in a bid to become the first Indonesian province to recover >>
NEW 21 May: The Lion Air Group has cut salaries and delayed Eid bonuses, but has
assured employees no job cuts are in the pipeline. Group operations are at just 5%
of the usual 1,000 flights operated daily >>
NEW 21 May: West Java’s lockdown restrictions (PSBB) will continue until 29 May, with
some cities who are at lower risk of transmission to be allowed more freedoms >>
NEW 20 May: Data from 1 Jan – 5 May showed a decline of 44% in foreign tourist
arrivals to Bali and -35% for domestic tourists >>
NEW 19 May: Jakarta extended its lockdown (PSBB) until 4 Jun, despite the central
government’s plans to allow businesses to resume operations >>
NEW 19 May: Soekarno-Hatta could become a new cluster source after an inspection
which showed that the airport was not implementing social distancing sufficiently
>>
NEW 18 May: Bali has been ranked the 2nd destination globally in the wishlists of
Booking.com’s customers. For Indonesian travellers, their top 10 domestic
destinations in Mar and Apr ’20 were: Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Ubud, Bandung,
Seminyak, Canggu, Kuta, Surabaya, Uluwatu and Jimbaran >> (Bahasa Indonesia)
NEW 18 May: Traveloka and tiket.com cut their digital advertising spend by 100% in the
first week of Ramadan YoY >>
NEW 18 May: A tourism recovery strategy with a team that will coordinate efforts of
both the government and private sector, will be launched soon. Health and safety
will be a priority >>
16 May: AirAsia Indonesia has postponed plans to restart its flights until 1 Jun >>
15 May: Bali could be reopened to tourists in October, the Indonesian government

has stated, due to its lower case and death rate than the rest of Indonesia. If this
situation continues, promotional work will be done from Jun – Oct. Yogyakarta and
Riau islands province could also open in Oct >>
14 May: The Indonesian National Air Carrier Association (INACA) has called for
financial stimulus from the government in the form of credit relaxation and soft
loans. They warned that if there was no support in May, the impact would be
“diastrous”. Their data showed passenger traffic dropped 8.23% in Q1 YoY, and Apr
and May figures are expected to be worse >>
14 May: Jakarta’s satellite areas have extended their lockdown (PSBB) until 26 May,
with stricter rules including the compulsory wearing of a face mask outdoors and
limiting gatherings to 5 people >>
14 May: A government investigation is underway after photos showing a crowded

terminal 2 at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport went viral >>
13 May: The government will provide a $1.68 billion USD stimulus package for
tourism that will include airfare and hotel discounts in Q3 to boost consumption
by the middle class >>
13 May: The government will allocate $3.8 billion USD to stimulate the economy
in 2021, although the details of which ministries was not yet announced >>
13 May: Angkasa Pura I, the airport operator in Indonesia, is looking into using PCR
swab tests to detect passengers carrying COVID-19, with screening taking place in
the arrivals terminals >>
13 May: The Indonesian Travel Agent Association (ASTINDO) has complained to the
government that air ticket sales are only permitted to be purchased with the
airline or via the airline’s website, not via travel agents >> (in Bahasa Indonesia)
13 May: 48,289 tourism workers in West Java province have been sent home >>
12 May: Lockdown has been extended in Greater Surabaya until 25 May >>
11 May: The Religious Affairs Ministry anticipates 2 scenarios for hajj this year:
either that the quota will be cut by 50%, or that hajj is suspended altogether.
Indonesia is still awaiting updates from Saudi Arabia >>
08 May: The Indonesian government is looking at plans to partially reopen

businesses from 1 Jun, under a 5-phase plan, so long as targets to control the virus
are met >>
07 May: Indonesia’s March foreign tourist arrivals has dropped 64% YoY, with a
decline at all main airports:
• Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport arrivals: -64%

• Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport arrivals: -75%
• Medan’s Kualanamu Airport arrivals: -64% >>
07 May: Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air have resumed domestic
flights. Garuda Indonesia passengers will need to provide COVID-19 negative tests
to fly, whilst Lion Group flights will not seat passengers in the middle seats >>
06 May: Public transportation of all means, including flights, will be allowed to

restart as of 6 May, except for in areas implementing lockdown, to facilitate
movement for business, urgent and official purposes >>
06 May: The Indonesian government is preparing the tourism industry for the “new
normal” with potential plans for certification for hygiene, as well as hygiene SOPs
for destinations and accommodation providers to follow. ASTINDO have seen from
a consumer survey a trend towards natural, outdoor activities based tourism in
smaller groups or with family >>
06 May: According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at Indonesian
hotels fell by 17.3%, and the Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) dropped by
55.4% in March YoY >>
05 May: Hotel occupancy dropped to 32.2% in March, according to the Indonesian

Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI). They report that 1,642 hotels and 353
restaurants have shut down. The Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel
Agencies (ASITA) have said that its 7,000 members have been forced to cut salaries
by 50% to help cashflow >>
04 May: Central Java has seen a drop of international arrivals of 46% in March YoY,
with hotel occupancy rates dropping to 28.6%. The majority of foreign visitors
arrive from Malaysia >>
04 May: Indonesia had its first virtual tabletop between suppliers and buyers in the
travel trade, with 227 participants >>
03 May: The Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Asita) have
asked agents to sell affordable packages, which must be coordinated with airlines.
The government should also use travel agents to book their work meetings >>
02 May: The number of employees affected by COVID-19 in the tourism sector is

up to 70%, according to the Tourism & Creative Economy Minister >>
30 Apr: Close to 213,00 tourism workers have been affected by the impact of
COVID-19. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will continue to develop
programs to empower tourism entrepreneurs and release online training to
support them >>
30 Apr: Garuda Indonesia will provide rapid testing services for their pax, along
with the air transport authority >>
29 Apr: 5 schemes have been introduced to support MSMEs, including tax

incentives, loan restructuring, emergency working capital assistance, amongst
others, helping 23 million companies >>
29 Apr: Garuda Indonesia have grounded most of their fleet, and postponed salary
or performed wage cuts for 25,000 workers >>
27 Apr: Officials expect Indonesia’s cases to drop in June and “normal life” to
resume in July >>
2020, with a loss of $8.225 billion USD in revenue and 2,069,000 jobs >>
23 Apr: All domestic air travel is banned from 24 Apr to 1 Jun, for both scheduled
and chartered flights. Public land and sea transport is also prohibited >>
23 Apr: Labuan Bajo and Flores Tourism Authority will allocate up to $258 million
USD to help tourism in the region, with a 3-step process of emergency, recovery
and normalisation measures >>
22 Apr: Jakarta’s lockdown will be extended until 22 May with harsher penalties for
those who disobey measures >>
22 Apr: The Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies
(ASITA) Yogyakarta Chapter has said that the tourism industry may face problems
during recovery as many workers had found alternative jobs. The minister for
tourism has been coordinating with travel partners to design appealing domestic
and international promotions >>
21 Apr: The President finally imposed a ban on the mudik, or homecoming, ahead
of Eid, for everyone >>
20 Apr: New ceiling and floor airfares have been increased by the government for
domestic flights to help them cope with the new regulations that restrict pax
capacity to 50% per flight. National airlines’ revenue estimated loss has reached
207 billion IDR >>
18 Apr: Lockdown expanded to West Java, including Bandung, and West Sumatra
>>
16 Apr: Indonesia is set to lose $10 billion from tourism revenue this year, with
foreign tourists falling to 5 million from 2019’s 16 million. Widodo the Indonesian
President said, “Economic stimulus for businesses in the tourism and creative
industry must be prepared so they can survive and don’t resort to large-scale
layoffs.” They are preparing stimulus packages for the travel industry >>
15 Apr: Lockdown expanded to include Jakarta’s satellite cities in Bekasi, Bogor

and Depok and Pekanbaru will also implement the lockdown. Airlines limiting
passengers to 50% of aircraft capacity should make travel more difficult and costly
to discourage consumers >>
15 Apr: Angkasa Pura II has restricted services and operating hours at its 19
airports >>
14 Apr: Bali does not plan to implement a lockdown as Jakarta has >>
14 Apr: Tiket.com’s revenue has dropped 75%. They have now slashed their
marketing budget by 90%. Traveloka’s web traffic is estimated to be down 60% in
March >>
13 Apr: Nearly 200,000 tourism workers are expected to apply for the
Preemployment Card benefits program launched in April with total benefits of
$223 USD. 7,000 travel agents in the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel
Agents (ASITA) have either cut salaries or furloughed employees to avoid layoffs.
1,200 hotels have temporarily closed, with 74,100 employees registered under the
scheme, but more are expected >>
12 Apr: Public buses, trains, planes and ships must limit their capacity to 50% in a
new decree >>
07 Apr: Traveloka, a large Indonesian OTA, has had to make redundancies,

affecting around 10% of its workforce. Some remaining staff are on pay cuts >>
07 Apr: Passenger traffic at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has dropped by
15% in Q1 vs last year. Angkasa Pura, the airport operator, has seen an 8.11% drop
in passengers at its 15 airports across the country >>
07 Apr: Jakarta was approved to implement further social distancing on the city,
including closing schools, workplaces and limiting religious and socio-cultural
activities >>
07 Apr: 1,266 hotels have closed with employees told to take leave, but the
Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) expects more than 150,000
hotels to be affected >>
06 Apr: Occupancy is below 2% according to PHRI. They have asked the

government for specific sector assistance as they fear mass layoffs and closures
without intervention >>
02 Apr: Bali declared a state of emergency, with all travellers entering the island
including locals, to have to self-quarantine for 2 weeks >>
02 Apr: A new public holiday may be created later in the year to encourage
Indonesians to travel then rather than over Eid >>
01 Apr: Indonesia’s foreign visitors in February dropped by 28.9% YoY and the
Central Agency of Statistics forecasts the number will drop lower yet >>
30 Mar: Stricter rules on social distancing are to be implemented, including the

stopping of interprovincial buses and tourist buses. The President, Widodo, is still
against a full lockdown. Angkasa Pura, the airport operator, announced that 18,300
flights have been cancelled at its 15 airports, 14,000 of which were domestic >>
30 Mar: Indonesia AirAsia have suspended operations until 21 Apr for domestic
flights >>
29 Mar: Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport is temporarily stopping operations at

terminals 1B and 2F from 1 Apr to 29 May >>
18 Mar: Indonesian government announced a 2nd emergency stimulus package of

$8 billion USD, which focused on the manufacturing sector rather than tourism >>
17 Mar: The government has called for the stopping of MICE activities and to “limit
activities that promote tourism and the creative economy”. The government has
cancelled all promotional plans announced during on 25 Feb >>
25 Feb: $21.5 million fund for the Indonesian tourism industry has been
announced by the government, including incentives for airlines, travel agencies,
promotional activities and sponsoring fam trips.
The government is also providing an additional fund to support airlines with

discounts of up to 30% for domestic tourism for 10 Indonesian destinations, on top
of the existing airline discounts, from Mar to May travel >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 19 May: The Indonesian government is pressuring Saudi Arabia to announce
whether the Hajj pilgrimage season in July will proceed in 2020. They have the
highest quota, with 221,000 slots to send pilgrims >>
NEW 18 May: For Booking.com’s Indonesian travellers, their top 10 international

destinations in Mar and Apr ’20 were: Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok,
Seoul, Osaka, Kyoto, London, Paris and Penang >> (Bahasa Indonesia)
NEW 18 May: Garuda Indonesia will furlough 800 contract workers for 3 months. Its
daily flights have declined by 70% >>
16 May: AirAsia Indonesia has postponed plans to restart its flights from Kuala
Lumpur/ Johor Bahru to Surabaya on May 18 >>
14 May: All airports in Indonesia have been added to the “European Union List of
Airports considered high risk of transmission” >>
11 May: Indonesia is looking at a rescue plan of $1 billion USD for Garuda

Indonesia >>
06 May: Qatar Airways plan to resume flights from Doha to Jakarta by the end of
June >>
05 May: Garuda Indonesia is discussing repayments due in June as cashflow issues

continue to affect it. It estimates it has seen a 31.9% decline in passenger and
cargo revenue in Q1 YoY >>
05 May: AirAsia Indonesia plans to resume its flights from Kuala Lumpur/ Johor
Bahru to Surabaya on May 18 >>
22 Apr: The Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies
(ASITA) Yogyakarta Chapter has said travel agents may have to cut longhaul
destinations and focus on SE Asian countries instead due to weaker purchasing
power >>
21 Apr: ASTINDO has called for airlines to give cash refunds to enable its travel
company members to maintain cashflow and refund their own clients >>
17 Apr: ASITA reported that 98% of its 7,000 members (travel agents and tour
operators) have temporarily closed operations, furloughing employees >>
30 Mar: Indonesia AirAsia have suspended operations until 17 Apr for international
flights >>
17 Mar: Indonesian Umrah travel agents could lose 2 trillion rupiah ($134
million) whilst Saudi Arabia continues its entry ban >>
LAOS
Could lose up to $20 - 25 million USD from cancellations
TRAVEL Flights are suspended. (IATA).
RESTRICTIONS
LOCKDOWN Businesses are allowed to reopen from 18 May, and transport and interprovince
STATUS
movement is allowed again. Schools will be reopened from 18 May in phases.
Indoor and outdoor sporting activities are allowed to take place. However, night
markets, beer shops, nightclubs, karaokes, casinos and cinemas will remain closed.
Gatherings for weddings and cultural events are limited to 50 pax.
INBOUND
NEW 22 May: Authorities announced they will start to reopen international borders with
neighbouring countries (China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand), but foreigners
would only be permitted to enter should they have the appropriate authorisation
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs >>
NEW 22 May: The Lao tourism board may be established again, according to the
President of the LNCCI, in a webinar hosted by Austcham Lao PDR >> (video)
NEW 21 May: Domestic travel is now permitted in Laos >>
16 May: Laoskyway will resume flight services on 24 May >>
16 May: Laos eased its lockdown restrictions from 15 May. Businesses and
government agencies are allowed to reopen from 18 May, and transport and
interprovince movement is allowed again. Schools will be reopened from 18 May
in phases. Indoor and outdoor sporting activities are allowed to take place.
However, night markets, beer shops, nightclubs, karaokes, casinos and cinemas
will remain closed. Gatherings for weddings and cultural events are limited to 50
pax >>
15 May: Lao Airlines will be resuming domestic flights from 22 May >>
08 May: Laos is extending its flight ban, with Lao Airlines also confirming that it
would not reopen domestic flight routes. Luang Prabang tourist sites will remain
closed >>
02 May: Laos will allow restaurants, shopping centres, retail and service businesses
to reopen on Mon 04 May, but people must wear face masks outside and keep
social distancing. This will continue until 17 May, but should new infections be
detected in 2 provinces, lockdown will be implemented once more >>
28 Apr: The Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association met with the government to
convey their concerns and issues, many of which will take a long time to resolve
>>
30 Apr: Laos’ Q1 domestic and foreign visitors totalled 886,440, representing a

17% downturn YoY, with more than $450,000 USD lost in the first two months of
2020 >>
15 Apr: Lockdown extended by 14 days until 03 May >>
03 Apr: Tourism businesses will have a tax deferral for 3 months from April, the
government announced, as part of fiscal measures to help the economy >>
29 Mar: Laos will be under lockdown, with international and interprovincial

borders closed to all travellers from 30 Mar to 19 Apr >>
24 Feb: Laos could lose up to $20 - 25 million USD from travel cancellations.
However, this is likely to increase if other tourists also stop visiting the country >>
OUTBOUND
To be updated as news comes in.
MALAYSIA
Estimated RM3.3 billion in losses
TRAVEL Passengers not allowed to enter Malaysia (except Malaysian nationals, permanent
RESTRICTIONS
residents and MM2H permit holders). 14-day quarantine for all passengers in
government-mandated quarantine stations (IATA).
LOCKDOWN “Conditional Movement Control Order” in place until 9 Jun. Majority of businesses
STATUS
nationwide opened, subject to fulfilling certain social distancing conditions.
Schools remain closed. Ban on returning to hometowns for Eid celebrations and
interstate travel.
MAL AYSIA
90.00 90.00 89.00 86.00 85.00 87.00 85.00
100 80.00 81.00 83.00 83.00 79.00
80
60
40 63.00 68.00 66.00 66.00 63.00 60.00 65.00 63.00
54.00 54.00 55.00
20
0
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they will
contract COVID-19
Source: YouGOV
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Malaysia
Future flight search for travel to Malaysia
INBOUND
NEW 23 May: The founder of Apple Vacations, one of Malaysia’s biggest travel agents,
has made a plea to the government to offer more support and clarity, especially
over government remarks on 16 May for them to return refunds >>
NEW 23 May: 10 Melaka hotels are being sold, including both boutique and budget
ones, according to the Melaka Tourism Business Club (MTBC) >>
NEW 23 May: The Johor state tourism industry will be helped by the government with
RM1,000 cash handouts for tour guides, exemption of licence fees for tourism and
hotel industry companies and entertainment tax exemption for theme parks and
family entertainment centres >>
NEW 22 May: Airbnb are urging the Malaysian government to make them a part of
Tourism Malaysia’s initiatives, given that in 2018 they generated RM3 billion in
direct economic impact to the country. Meanwhile, homestays remain closed >>
NEW 22 May: Interest free loans of up to RM10 million are being opened up to Penang’s
tourism industry players >>
NEW 21 May: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) wants the
government to develop its own health and safety accreditation for tourism players.
They reminded the government that boosting consumer confidence is key to for
tourism >>
NEW 21 May: The Penang state government has proposed “travel bubbles” for interstate
travel as restrictions gradually lift >>
NEW 21 May: All interstate travel has been banned, to try to put off people returning to
home towns for Eid celebrations >>
NEW 21 May: Genting Malaysia, the casino group, will be retrenching around 10-20% of
its 20,000 employees >>
NEW 21 May: Sarawak has revised its tourist arrivals targets to 2.4 million visitors, a
drop of 52% vs its 2020 target of 5 million. Post-pandemic, the tourist board will
focus on ASEAN and domestic markets >>
NEW 20 May: Police permissions must be obtained prior to flying interstate >>
NEW 20 May: AirAsia flight credit validity has been extended to 2 years or free
unlimited flight changes >>
NEW 20 May: From 1 Jun, all arrivals into Malaysia will have to pay RM150/ day for their
compulsory quarantine. Malaysian citizens will have to pay just 50% of the amount
>>
NEW 19 May: Malaysian air travel will start to recover in 2020, with a slow return,
according to aviation experts. PwC expect domestic passenger traffic to return to
75-80% of 2019’s levels by YE. However, experts do not expect the international
sector to pick up until 2022 or 2023 >>
NEW 19 May: The Tourism Malaysia director-general has said that international tourism
traffic could perhaps be expected in Dec, and the focus should be on domestic
tourism and collaborations with neighbouring countries >>
NEW 18 May: The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) stated that travel
agencies are unable to give back refunds to customers as they are still waiting for
airlines to refund them monies. AirAsia will also commence a flight from Kota
Kinabalu – Guangzhou on 1 Jul >>
NEW 18 May: A 3-year revitalisation plan for Penang’s MICE sector will be developed,
firstly to attract more domestic business, before ASEAN, APAC and global meetings
and incentives. A destination branding programme called “Here for Tomorrow” will
also be rolled out >>
16 May: Tour agents are allowed to be opened, but tourism activities are still
prohibited. Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) participants will be allowed to
return to Malaysia from 17 May, subject to health checks and quarantine. Travel
agents were also urged to return refunds or carry forward bookings to passengers
>>
NEW 14 May: PATA estimate that Malaysia’s tourism arrivals are “most likely” to shrink
by 32% vs their original forecast for 2020, and will not recover to its original trend
until Q3 2021 >>
14 May: Malaysia Airports saw its passenger traffic drop by nearly 100%, with just
97,000 domestic and 39,000 international passengers in April >>
14 May: AirAsia are researching raising airfares, but have not yet determined what
this increase of cost would be >>
14 May: Penang will only be able to welcome back tourists in Q3 or Q4 2020, with
new SOPs for hoteliers to follow >>
13 May: The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau is pushing the government
for 500 people as a maximum for business events, up from 250 which is currently
being considered. They are also creating domestic packages called “Let’s Meet
Locally”, and international packages called “Let’s Meet Tomorrow” >>
13 May: The Transport Ministry is looking into airfare increases, as both Malaysia
Airlines and Malindo Air agreed that social distancing may increase fares by up to
54% >>
13 May: AirAsia is rolling out more contactless procedures for travellers, including
contactless payment options, contactless kiosks to print boarding passes (in
Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia) and baggage tags, and digital
scanning of boarding passes at the gate instead of collecting physical tickets >>
12 May: The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) has asked the
State government to rethink the 14-day quarantine imposed on Malaysian tourists
visiting Sabah from other states, so long as they could prove they were virus free.
They also hoped that flights to China and South Korea would be resumed
eventually as they doubt that Sabahans will help boost the local tourism economy,
and tourism businesses have lost more than 95% of business >>
11 May: A distinction between MICE and mass gatherings has been appealed for by
the Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM), so that events can still go ahead
until strict SOPs, including usage of PPE, social distancing and thermal checks >>
11 May: The Malaysian Hotel Association (MHA) says that Malaysia will lose at
least 60% of its tourism business in 2020, and around 35% of hotels in Malaysia
have had to close temporarily >>
10 May: The partial lockdown has been extended in Malaysia until 9 Jun, with
returning to hometowns for Eid celebrations banned, and restrictions on interstate
travel staying in place >>
09 May: Sarawak believes that it will be able to rebuild its tourism sector within 18
months, with the focus being on domestic tourism and nearby countries such as
Brunei and Singapore >>
09 May: MATTA wants the government to relook at travel restrictions, as well as

introduce special certificates for places that adhere to health and safety
requirements to boost traveller confidence >>
08 May: Penang will focus on domestic tourism once the lockdown is eased >>
08 May: Pahang state has seen a RM500 million income loss during the MCO
(lockdown) period, with around 38,000 rooms unable to be filled. 1,000 tourism
players in the state had been assisted with basic necessities and cash >>
08 May: Sarawak state has announced a RM300 million stimulus package, with
certain measures supporting tourism workers:
• One-off cash payment of RM600 to licensed van operators

• Special grant of RM1,500 to 145 tourist and park guides >>
06 May: According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at Malaysian
06 May: Tour bus operators, who together have 10,000 buses, are facing pressure
to repay loans from their creditors. Operators are calling on loans to be
restructured, as they are facing depreciation values and no demand >>
05 May: Passengers must wear face masks at both Kuala Lumpur International
Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2 upon entering the terminal building, as well as undergo
temperature screening >>
05 May: Malacca expects it to take 2 years to rebuild its tourism. Future plans
include opening more air routes to domestic and international destinations >>
03 May: Many of Malaysia’s states have questioned the relaxation of the national
lockdown, and have decided to impose their own modified regulations or delay it
altogether >>
01 May: Malaysia will begin to ease their lockdown (MCO) on 4 May, with many
businesses allowed to reopen. However, some leisure and recreational activities
will still not be allowed to open and schools will remain closed >>
30 Apr: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has called
for banks to simplify loan procedures for SMEs >>
29 Apr: AirAsia resumed some of their domestic flight routes, from Kuala Lumpur
to Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Kuching, Miri, Sandakan, Kota Bharu, Penang and
selected routes in Sarawak/ Sabah states >>
29 Apr: Bank Negara has allocated RM5 billion for financing loans to SMEs to help
them sustain operations and maintain jobs >>
28 Apr: AirAsia will implement new travel procedures, including the obligatory
wearing of face masks by passengers, allowing only one piece of cabin baggage,
temperature checks and social distancing at check-in counters >>
27 Apr: AirAsia is trialling PPE equipment for cabin crew on flights >>
24 Apr: Malindo Air will recommence its domestic flights from KLIA and Subang
Airport with one daily flight to each domestic destination in its network. Pax must
wear face masks on board >>
23 Apr: Lockdown has been extended until 12 May, the 3rd extension >>
22 Apr: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has asked travel industry
stakeholders to create innovative domestic tourism programmes in rural areas and
those less promoted. The ministry is also looking into online training and has
asked for allowances to do so >>
22 Apr: Penang has established a special taskforce to generate a tourism strategy

for recovery as tourism contribution is 49% of the state’s GDP >>
17 Apr: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) forecasts losses of RM3.3

billion in room revenue for H1 2020, and only a 30% average occupancy this year.
Total losses due to room cancellations is RM75.7 million from Jan to Mar 2020,
with the states of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah the worst affected. MAH have
asked for further subsidies from the government >>
14 Apr: MATTA issued a statement that urged MAVCOM, the Malaysian Aviation
Commission, to protect consumers’ refunds and ensure that airlines payout refunds
within a specified timeframe, as well as to consider providing financial assistance
to airlines >>
10 Apr: The Movement Control Order has been extended by 2 more weeks until
April 28 >>
08 Apr: Tourism Malaysia plans to start promoting the country again from Sep
2020 and until then, focus will be on domestic tourism. It will co-organise virtual
and physical fairs, and ask MICE organisers to hold events domestically, host fam
trips and support tour operators >>
08 Apr: 31 hotels have been gazetted as quarantine centres >>
07 Apr: MATTA has welcomed the additional stimulus package for SMEs, saying
“the new wage subsidy tiering will help to ease company cash flow problems and
help retain more employees.” >>
07 Apr: An additional RM10 billion financial stimulus has been announced targeted
at SMEs. Key measures include:
• Wage subsidy of up to RM1,200 per employee for companies with less than
75 workers
• Tax deductions for landlords to encourage rental reductions >>
30 Mar: Malaysian government admits that airlines need specific measures

different to those from the stimulus packages already released, but what this
would entail not mentioned >>
27 Mar: MATTA have expressed disappointment at the government’s new stimulus

package, announced on 27 Mar. It said that “tourism-related businesses have
indicated a possible downsizing of staff from anywhere between 70% and 90%
over the coming few months to simply survive.” >>
27 Mar: The Malaysian government announced a new economic stimulus package

valued at RM250 billion, including some support for the travel industry:
• Monthly subsidy of RM600 for 3 months for companies who have had a
drop of 50% in business since 1 Jan
• RM4.5 billion for SME and micro entrepreneurs comprising of five initiatives
>>
18 Mar: The Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign has been cancelled >>
11 Mar: Malaysia Airlines have reduced 10% of salaries and allowance for all senior
management for the next 3 months >>
05 Mar: New targets for domestic tourism have been set by the Ministry of
Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC): 92.8 million tourists with a spend of RM76.9
billion vs 2019's 85.2 million and RM68.5 billion respectively >>
27 Feb: The Malaysian government’s stimulus package details have been released,
and will support the tourism industry with the following measures:
• $4.75 billion USD relief package

• Working capital fund for small and medium sized companies
• Monthly cash aid for taxi drivers, tourist bus drivers
• RM1,000 personal tax break for domestic spend
• RM100 digital voucher to spend
• Postponement of income tax payments, 15% discount in electricity bills for
hotels, travel agents, airlines, shopping malls, convention centres
• Malaysia Airports to cut rental for tenants, landing charges and parking
fees at airports >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 21 May: Scoot announced that it plans to resume limited flights from Singapore to
Malaysia in June >>
NEW 21 May: Malaysia is awaiting official confirmation from Saudi Arabia if the Hajj
pilgrimage is to be allowed this year >>
14 May: Tourism Australia is targeting Malaysians, amongst other nationalities,

with a weekend-long live programme of virtual travel experiences across Australia
>>
10 May: Korean Air will reopen its Seoul – Kuala Lumpur route in June >>
07 May: Malaysian outbound travel agents are confident that China will remain a
popular tourist destination for Malaysians >>
06 May: Qatar Airways plan to resume flights from Doha to Kuala Lumpur by the
end of June >>
06 May: More than 1,000 freelance tour managers have zero income due to the
lack of international tour packages being sold >>
05 May: AirAsia Indonesia plans to resume its flights from Kuala Lumpur/ Johor
Bahru to Surabaya on May 18 >>
05 May: Malaysia Airlines released a statement that they will comply with social
distancing imposed by the Malaysian government, including:
• Only carrying 50% of the total capacity pax

• Empty seating between passengers and
• Disallowing passenger seat preference blocking >>
28 Apr: AirAsia X, the airline’s long-haul division, released their Q1 results,

showing a drop of 25% YoY >>
24 Apr: The Health Ministry has hinted that border controls will not be lifted once
the lockdown is lifted. This could take weeks or even “months” >>
22 Apr: Malaysia Airlines has issued a directive that all pax should now wear their
own face masks on domestic, international and charter flights >>
17 Apr: A merger between AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines could be an option to save
the two airlines, according to a Malaysian senior minister >>
11 Apr: Tony Fernandes of AirAsia has issued a statement calling for customers to
accept credit notes instead of refunds for their cancelled flights to ensure that they
can continue to operate >>
08 Apr: MATTA calls for airlines to give full refunds to customers in a timely
manner to avoid stress for travel agents >>
08 Apr: 13.6 million seats have been cancelled (equivalent to 12.3% of annual
scheduled seats) according to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) >>
07 Apr: Malindo Air have stopped all flight operations and asked the majority of its
staff to take unpaid leave from April >>
07 Apr: A takeover bid for Malaysia Airlines of $2.5 billion USD has been received
from Golden Skies Ventures who would reposition MAS as a premium long-haul
airline >>
05 Apr: The Malaysian Aviation Commission has recommended that government

assistance to airlines be a last resort and that its main objective should be to
maintain essential air connectivity and protect aviation employees >>
02 Apr: AirAsia is in discussion with the Malaysian government to gain a loan to

ease cash flow. Tony Fernandes, co-founder of the airline, did not rule out a
merger with other airlines >>
02 Apr: Malaysia Airlines will reinstate some of its international flights to allow
Malaysian travellers overseas to return home >>
27 Mar: AirAsia Group is suspending the majority of its flights from 28 Mar to 31
May. Management and senior employees have agreed to paycuts from 100% to
15% >>
27 Mar: Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) have downgraded their forecast

for Malaysia’s passenger traffic from between 36.2% to 38.1% (67.7 million to 69.7
million) in 2020. 7.3 million seats had been cancelled for Malaysian carriers as of
26 Mar >>
10 Mar: Outbound travel agents have an estimated liability of RM500 million

(118.1 million USD) for tour packages, according to MATTA >>
MYANMAR
500,000 tourism workers may lose jobs
TRAVEL All visa issuances suspended. All international flights are suspended (IATA).
RESTRICTIONS
LOCKDOWN Schools closed. Residents urged to stay inside and work from home where
STATUS
possible. Mandatory face mask wearing in Yangon when outside. Mandalay
reopening businesses from 16 May, some townships in Yangon under strict
measures for movement until further notice. Yangon curfew city-wide from 12am
– 4am until 18 Jun. Gatherings of 5 people and above prohibited. Localised
lockdowns of buildings and streets with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
INBOUND
NEW 23 May: There will be three stages in a roadmap for tourism, according to the
Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism:
1. Survival, immediate action with the self-finance and stimulus package

2. Reopening and relaxing of lockdown and quarantine, to be implemented
within 3-6 months
3. Relaunching, relaxing regulations and reinventing Myanmar tourism, to be
implemented within 6-12 months >>
NEW 22 May: Schools are expected to reopen by mid-July >>
NEW 19 May: The Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism held a video conference with
Chinese tour operators in preparation for the eventual return of Chinese travellers.
FIT travellers will not be prioritised in quality control, and package tours will need
to operate on a prepaid system that covers health insurance and a Chinese
speaking tour guide, as opposed to the “zero budget” tours >>
NEW 17 May: The curfew hours in Yangon have been shortened to 12am – 4am >>
14 May: Inbound flight restrictions have been extended until 31 May >>
14 May: Restrictions are to be eased in 4 townships in Yangon, with restaurants

allowed to reopen. The Mandalay regional government also announced the easing
of restrictions on businesses from 16 May in three stages >>
13 May: A partial lockdown of 10 townships in Yangon has been extended until

further notice >>
11 May: Myanmar’s tourism industry expects to remain closed for the rest of 2020,
with fewer foreign tourists over the next 2 years >>
09 May: A fund of $2.5 million USD has been set up in a 3rd phase of economic
stimulus to support loans to 111 industrial and tourism companies >>
06 May: According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at Myanmar
05 May: The first airport in Chin State is still expected to open in June, despite
virus setbacks >>
05 May: Myanmar Tourism Marketing have launched twice-weekly online panels to

update travel partners on how the country is handling COVID-19 >>
04 May: More businesses designated as essential have been allowed to open,

including hotels, motels and guesthouses >>
02 May: 1,480 hotels were closed during March according to the Myanmar Hotelier
Association >>
02 May: A 2nd fund of $142.8 million USD is set to be created by the government to
help struggling businesses >>
30 Apr: More than 500,000 tourism workers may lose their jobs, according to the
Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA). They predict at least 6 months for
just 10% of tourism operations to start again, whilst 9 months for all to be open
once more, whilst they don’t see normality returning until 2023 >>
26 Apr: The ban on entry from other nationalities has been extended until 15 May
>>
23 Apr: Land lease payments for 47 state-owned and private hotels will be
deferred for 6 months. However, the Myanmar Hotelier Association has asked for
an exemption, rather than just deferment >>
16 Apr: Hotel and tour businesses will not have to pay licence fees for one year
until 31 Mar 2021 >>
12 Apr: The ban on international flights has been extended to 30 Apr >>
06 Apr: All civil servants are banned from travelling during Thingyan (Myanmar
New Year). State and regional governments have ordered citizens to stay at home
from 10 – 19 Apr >>
02 Apr: All international commercial flights cancelled until 13 Apr. Ministry of

Tourism forecasts international arrivals to fall by 50% in 2020 >>
18 Mar: Myanmar Government has introduced relief measures, including those for
tourism businesses:
• Covid-19 fund established and funds may be borrowed at interest rate of

1% for one year
• Commercial tax and corporate income tax deadlines extended until end of
Sep 2020 >>
14 Mar: The Ayeyarwady region has banned tour groups from visiting the beaches
at Chaungtha, Ngwesaung and Gawyingi Island >>
27 Feb: The Myanmar Tourism Federation says that “The virus will affect not just
the tourism sector, but also transportation, rentals, restaurants, and so on. It could
reduce revenue by 40 to 50 percent or more.” They are urging the government to
make plans to mitigate the effect on the tourism industry in Myanmar >>
22 Feb: Entry into Myanmar from Chinese tourists has dropped by 30%, according
to the Yangon Region government ethnic Karen Affairs Minister Naw Pan Thinzar
Myo. The number of tourists visiting Myanmar from other countries fell by 50% >>
OUTBOUND
11 May: Myanmar’s outbound tourism industry expects recovery to come by
Thingyan 2021 >>
10 May: Korean Air will reopen its Seoul – Yangon route in June >>
19 Apr: Myanmar National Airline are temporarily suspending all domestic and
international flights until 30 Apr >>
02 Apr: $800,000 USD of travel packages have been cancelled between the end of
Jan to mid-March, according to the Union of Myanmar Travel Association >>
12 Mar: Almost all of the 100,000 air tickets which are usually issued for the
Thingyan holidays in Myanmar have been cancelled, according to Daw Hla Darli
Khin, managing director at Tour De Myanmar Travels and Tour. The agents face
issues getting the refunds back from airlines >>
PHILIPPINES
Worst case losses could reach $3.1 billion USD
TRAVEL Temporary ban on foreigners entering from 22 Mar. Filipinos not permitted to
RESTRICTIONS
travel as tourists (Department of Tourism)
LOCKDOWN “Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine” in Manila, Cebu and Clark until 31
STATUS
May, whilst other provinces under less severe lockdown. Airlines still not
permitted to operate domestic flights. Many industries and sectors are permitted
to reopen, with 50% of the workforce. Travel agents and operators not allowed to
open.
PHILIPPINES
100 81.00 80.00 82.00 80.00 82.00 82.00 83.00 86.00
72.00 73.00 69.00 75.00
80
60
69.00 65.00 68.00 64.00 64.00 65.00
61.00 66.00
40
46.00 46.00 48.00
20
0
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
Source: YouGOV
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Philippines
Future flight search for travel to the Philippines
INBOUND
NEW 22 May: The Department of Tourism (DOT) have had a decrease of 54.02% for Jan-
Apr 2020 YoY >>
NEW 21 May: Marriott International have expressed their optimism for recovery of the
Philippines’ tourism industry: “We’ve been bullish about the Philippines, we
continue to be bullish about the future of the Philippines,” he stated in a webinar
>>
NEW 21 May: The Central Visayas region estimates its lost revenue to be 25 billion PHP
for H1 2020 >>
NEW 20 May: Plans for revised hotel standards will be rolled out soon, according to the
DOT, and will include measures such as hotels only allowed to accommodate 2
pax/ room, and operating at 50% capacity. The DOT will also offer low-interest
loans to tourism stakeholders. They predict a drop of 1.3 million tourists in 2019.
Jan-Apr ’20 tourism receipts were -55% YoY >>
NEW 18 May: Theme parks and amusement centres in the Philippines estimate that they
will lose around 600 million PHP between 15 Mar – 15 Jun >>
NEW 16 May: The DOT is making plans to ensure that the tourism industry implements
social distancing and helps to avoid a second wave of cases >>
16 May: Philippine Airlines will focus on domestic tourism from Manila to the
islands as a priority to earn revenue, and also expect overseas foreign workers to
be a key market supporting its recovery >>
14 May: Philippine Airlines cancelled all flights in Manila, Clark and Cebu, whilst
their Davao hub is under evaluation >>
14 May: The Philippines will remain under some form of lockdown from 16 May
with different levels of severity, the government decided, after initially declaring
that some regions could be lockdown free. Airlines are still not permitted to
operate domestic flights. Many industries and sectors are permitted to reopen in
Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City, under a “Modified Enhanced Community
Quarantine (MECQ)” implemented from 16-31 May, but can only open partially.
Travel agents and tour operators must remain closed, no matter what type of
lockdown they are under >>
14 May: Health and wellness tourism will be a niche product that the Department
of Tourism will focus on, with a Philippines Brand of Service >>
May: A survey of Chinese respondents has shown that 61% would like to visit the
Philippines in 2020. Key destinations that were attractive to respondents included
beach locations such as Boracay, Bohol and Cebu >>
13 May: The Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (Acap) told the Philippine
government that they need a monthly aid of 1.3 billion PHP in wages subsidies,
500 million PHP in airport fees and 6.8 billion PHP in working capital to survive >>
13 May: Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines extended the cancellation of their
international and domestic flights from 16-31 May >>
13 May: Acap members (Philippine Airines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines)
made losses of 5 billion PHP in Q1 2020. They predict that losses could hit 250
billion PHP in 2020. Cebu Pacific has already reported a 1.18 billion PHP loss >>
13 May: Over 569,178 tourism workers have received 4.4 billion PHP in wage
subsidies under the Small Business Wage Subsidy programme, with payouts
continuing >>
12 May: Davao’s only 5* hotel, the Marco Polo, will cease operations on 15 Jun. It
may reopen should there be positive market signals >>
11 May: The 10th Asean Para Games has been cancelled >>
10 May: Inbound international charter and scheduled flights will be allowed to

land at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) from Mon 11 May >>
10 May: Manila may see a partial relaxation of the Enhanced Community

Quarantine to General Community Quarantine across districts, depending on which
localities have high numbers of cases >>
09 May: Inbound charter and commercial flights now face restrictions at Manila’s
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), with charter flights only allowed to land
on Mon and Thu, commercial flights on Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun until 10 Jun.
This will allow the airport to handle a max of 400 pax/ day >>
08 May: A 30-day grace period after lockdown has been lifted will be allowed on
loans >>
07 May: AirAsia Philippines will resume ~25% of its scheduled 4,000 flights once
lockdown is lifted, initially focusing on domestic routes with the hope to restart
international routes inn June. There will be no “drastic changes” in pricing >>
06 May: 155,672 employees from 4,290 tourism companies received the first part
of their cash grant under the Small Business Wage Subsidy program in April. The
subsidy aims to provide PHP 5-8,000 for 2 months >>
06 May: The government announced new rules for domestic and international
airports, including physical distancing, temperature and contactless security
checks. Pax entering the airport must also wear face masks. Cebu Pacific said that
its operating crew and ground staff will wear PPE whilst on duty, and pax should
wear face masks throughout the flight. Philippine Airlines also said that their crew
would be in PPE, along with social distancing cabin options >>
06 May: According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at hotels in
the Philippines fell by 17.3%, and the Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR)
dropped by 58.9% in March YoY >>
05 May: The Department of Tourism is asking for PHP 71.62 billion, PHP 60.07
billion of which will be used for working capital loans, covering 12,000 primary
tourism enterprises and 2,400 secondary enterprises >>
03 May: A temporary flight suspension for international flights was implemented

for one week from 03 May >>
01 May: International tourist revenue in Q1 has decreased by 40.6% YoY, whilst

international arrivals have declined 40.2% according to the Tourism Secretary. PHP
43 billion stimulus package to support the tourism sector is being prepared by the
government. It comprises of:
• PHP 36 billion: soft loans to provide employment

• PHP 4 billion: jumpstart tourism infrastructure projects
• PHP 500 million: marketing and support for domestic tourism, product
market and development
• PHP 500 million: international marketing promotion fund
• PHP 500 million: training stakeholders
• PHP 1.5 billion: fund that can be used by private sector for their activities
>>
01 May: The Tourism Minister has called for stricter health protocols for MICE to
position the Philippines as a “premier destination” >>
01 May: The Tourism Ministry will focus on domestic tourism first, followed by
short-haul within ASEAN >>
30 Apr: Hoteliers are trying to renegotiate commissions with OTAs for a period of
6-12 months >>
30 Apr: Local airlines have asked the government for financial support to help
them with operational costs and ticket refunds >>
28 Apr: Some industries will be allowed to reopen in Metro Manila, such as dental
clinics, construction and media and private businesses under the Enhanced
Community Quarantine (ECQ) areas, whilst businesses such as spa services would
be able to reopen in areas under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ). Rules
have been put in place to restrict movement of those people under 21 or above 60.
Travel agents should remain closed even in areas under GCQ >>
27 Apr: 79% of respondents in a survey conducted on the Philippines hotel sector

has said that they expect government support, which they would prefer as
subsidies and payouts. 63% feel that international MICE demand may never
recover >>
25 Apr: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines announced that all
flights will remain cancelled until 15 May >>
24 Apr: Duterte has extended the lockdown in Metro Manila and other high risk
areas, including the provinces of Davao, Cebu and Iloilo, although measures will
be slightly relaxed in less affected areas of the Philippines >>
15 Apr: The Department of Tourism issued a statement that they will continue to
support hard hit tourism players. They will communicate with banks to provide
rehabilitation funding, has extended employer payments to Social Security System,
Pag-IBIG Fund and PhilHealth, and will look at deferred corporate income tax
payments. Displaced workers are also able to claim a new 5,000-8,000 PHP wage
subsidy created for middle class workers employed by small businesses >>
13 Apr: Philippine Airlines has announced plans to resume selected domestic

routes over the coming weeks, but there will be no flights to/ from Clark Intl
Airport for the remainder of April >>
09 Apr: The government has secured 209 hotel and 11,549 rooms to use for
returning Filipinos as quarantine accommodation >>
09 Apr: AirAsia Philippines has cancelled flights until the end of April following the
extended lockdown period >>
08 Apr: Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have also cancelled flights until the
end of April >>
07 Apr: The Enhanced Community Quarantine of Luzon will be extended until 30

Apr >>
07 Apr: The Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board will waive
participation fees for all international fairs, exhibitions and roadshows in 2020 and
2021. Accreditation fees will also be subject to a moratorium >>
04 Apr: National Economic and Development report released shows that the loss of
tourism revenue could be 77.5 – 156.9 billion PHP ($1.5 - $3.1 billion USD) >>
03 Apr: Travel restrictions could wipe out $3.5 billion in revenues, with 420,000
jobs likely to be lost from the Philippines’ aviation sector and a 36% drop in
passengers, according to IATA. The Air Carriers Association of the Philippines
wrote to the government on 25 Mar to request financial aid >>
19 Mar: Philippines will stop issuing visas to foreigners worldwide with a total ban
on incoming foreign visitors of all nationalities. Filipinos travelling as tourists
barred from leaving the country >>
10 Mar: 30-50,000 employees in the tourism sector could lose their jobs if
Coronavirus lasts until June and visitor arrivals could be down by 1.42 million (last
year 8.24 million visited the Philippines) >>
04 Mar: 6 billion PHP will be spent by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in a

tourism resiliency programme, focusing on domestic travel. 2.2 billion PHP will be
allocated to infrastructure improvement, 1.6 billion PHP to improve secondary
airports, 725 million PHP for tactical programs and initiatives, 421 million PHP for
new campaigns, 467 million PHP for "engaging content" to countries not affected
by Coronavirus, 85 million PHP for training >>
04 Mar: Tourism arrivals are down 41% in February, according to Tourism Secretary
Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. "We're bleeding already," said Tourism Congress of the
Philippines (TCP) president Jose Clemente III. "[...] the objective now is just to
survive until the situation gets better." >>
24 Feb: Domestic travel should be the new focus with reduced rates. 40+ hotels
and resorts have agreed to cut room rates by up to 50% until Aug, whilst there will
be a 20 - 30% reduction in airfares from Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and

AirAsia Philippines >>
24 Feb: Philippines may lose 1.2 million Chinese visitors in 2020, Deputy Speaker
and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said. Up to $1,200 in local spending lost
per Chinese tourist.
“The number of Chinese holidaymakers this year could plunge to as low as

500,000, possibly even less, depending on how long the virus lingers,” Pimentel
said >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 21 May: Philippine Airlines has delayed the launch of its Manila – Perth route until
October >>
NEW 21 May: Asiana Airlines plans to increase the number of flights from Seoul to
Manila >>
NEW 21 May: Philippine Airlines expects to reopen with 5-10% of its international
network and 20-30% of local flights by June, including destinations such as Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Japan and Singapore >>
NEW 21 May: Philippine Airlines is not in “immediate danger of bankruptcy” due to a

$600 million USD capital injection in Feb. However, it is losing $300 million for
each month the lockdown is in effect, and is said to have lost close to a billion
dollars already >>
NEW 19 May: International travellers to the Philippines will need to undertake a COVID-
19 test, and quarantine whilst awaiting the results. Those who test negative will
be allowed to self-isolate for 14-days at home >>
07 May: Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport has seen a drop of 1.8 billion
PHP in revenue as of the end of April YoY. The Civil Aviation Authority of the
Philippines have given a rental holiday to airport concessionaires until 15 May, as
well as landing/ take-off payments and parking fees for domestic and international
flights deferred until 2021 >>
06 May: Qatar Airways plan to resume flights from Doha to Manila by the end of
June >>
13 Apr: Philippine Airlines has announced plans to resume selected international

routes from May onwards, to Japan, USA, Canada, Guam, Australia, UK, Singapore,
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Taipei,
Macau, Saudi Arabia and Korea, subject to government restrictions >>
24 Mar: Philippine Airlines has suspended all flight operations from 26 Mar, due to
travel restrictions, collapse in travel appetite and staffing challenges >>
17 Mar: All Cebu Pacific flights have been cancelled from 19 Mar to 14 Apr >>
27 Feb: Philippines banned from visiting South Korea >>
7 Feb: PTTA Travel Expo took place in Manila, but received less than the usual
number of visitors >>
SINGAPORE
85% drop in international arrivals in April 2020 YoY
TRAVEL All short-term visitors to Singapore are barred from entering the country from 23
RESTRICTIONS
Mar (IATA).
LOCKDOWN Most workplaces closed except essential services. Some business sectors (e.g.
STATUS
hairdressers, F&B outlets) to reopen on 12 May. Schools and higher education
institutes to action home-based learning. Residents encouraged to stay home from
7 Apr to 1 Jun. Individuals must wear a face mask outside of the home.
SINGAPORE
80 73.00 71.00 71.00
67.00 69.00 71.00
61.00
57.00 58.00
60 51.00 54.00
40 52.00
47.00 50.00 50.00
45.00 44.00 47.00
37.00 36.00 38.00 34.00
20
0
21 Feb 28 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24-Apr 01-May
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
SI N GA PORE TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS
CHA N GE % YOY
3.9%
SINGAPORE
-51.2%
-84.7%
Source: Singapore Analytics Tourism Network
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Singapore
Future flight search for travel to Singapore
NEW 20 May: Singapore will begin to ease its circuit breaker (lockdown) period from 2
Jun, and will open up in 3 phases:
1. Phase 1 (at least 4 weeks): Safe re-opening will allow businesses with low
risks of transmission to reopen, although working from home will still be
encouraged. Schools will also gradually restart classes
2. Safe transition (several months): Social gatherings in small groups,
restaurants reopening, sports and recreation facilities reopening, all
students return to school
3. Safe Nation (until a vaccine is developed): Numbers of people allowed into
same space still limited, gradual opening up of borders to allow
Singaporeans to do essential travel overseas, and foreigners to enter the

country >>
NEW 20 May: Transit through Singapore’s Changi Airport will be permitted from 2 Jun,
but “stringent” measures will be in place to ensure that pax remain in designated
areas. Airport staff will also wear PPE >>
NEW 19 May: The Singapore Tourism Board has launched an edutainment series with
Singaporean personalities to promote the country >>
NEW 19 May: Piloting green lane arrangements with a few countries who have lower or
the same risk of community transmission as Singapore is being explored by the
government >>
NEW 19 May: 70% in a survey of more than 170 event organisers and suppliers in
Singapore revealed that their revenue has dropped by 90%, with pay cuts and no-
pay leave implemented. 62% stated that they would have to close down without
further government assistance >>
NEW 18 May: According to Booking.com, Singapore was in the top 10 destinations

worldwide that their customers in Japan, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Thailand
and Indonesia are dreaming of in their wishlist during March and April 2020.
Globally, it ranked in the top 30 out of 1,000 destinations >>
NEW 17 May: March was one of Singapore’s worst months for the hotel industry on
record, with occupancy at just 38.3%. It has since trended above 70% at the start
of May, according to STR, but this is mainly due to COVID-related activities at the
hotels >>
NEW 14 May: PATA estimate that Singapore’s tourism arrivals are “most likely” to shrink
until Q2 2021 >>
12 May: Singapore continues discussions on how to reopen national borders, but

says that COVID-19 testing before departure would be a precaution countries
would need to take to be able to establish the lifting of bi-lateral border
restrictions >>
12 May: Airbnb has made at least 38 of its staff in Singapore redundant >>
06 May: According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at

Singaporean hotels fell by 20.3%, and the Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR)
dropped by 61.9% in March YoY >>
04 May: The Great Singapore Sale 2020 has been cancelled. It is usually timed to
coincide with school holidays, as well as a peak tourism period >>
04 May: Singapore has said that its border reopening will start small and
selectively, reviewing transmission levels in other countries >>
02 May: Some businesses will be allowed to resume on 12 May, with other circuit
breaker measures loosened next week >>
01 May: Singapore is in talks with Australia, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand
to facilitate the resumption of international travel necessary for maintaining
global supply chains >>
01 May: Foreign workers newly recovered from COVID-19 moved into the cruise
ship SuperStar Gemini as temporary accommodation >>
30 Apr: Singapore’s arrival numbers in March fell to just 240,000, an 85% drop YoY,
with Q1 figures overall down 43% >>
24 Apr: The STB has unveiled further information about how they plan to support
the local travel industry. Steps include:
• $20 million SGD Marketing Partnership Programme

• Phase 1 was launched for hotels in Apr 2020, funding half of
qualified marketing costs
• Phase 2 will increase to funding for 70% of marketing costs for
hotels, attractions, inbound travel agents and MICE
• $2 million SGD SG Stories Content Fund for local and international digital
video content creators to create stories about Singapore
• Tourism Transformation Index to help tourism businesses go digital
• Launch of ThreeHouse, an innovation space for companies to collaborate
• STB Marketing College – joint scheme with UOB, Facebook, Google and
LinkedIn to develop online training
• Minimum financial requirement for travel agents to be reduced by 90%
until 31 Dec >>
21 Apr: Singapore’s “Circuit Breaker” lockdown has been extended until 1 Jun >>
15 Apr: Sojern’s latest report on travel trends shows an interest in travelling to

Singapore from long-haul destinations such as Europe, USA and Australia. The
regional market also looks promising, particularly over the December period >>
06 Apr: A Solidarity Budget has been announced to support all businesses during
lockdown, including:
• Increasing wage subsidies for all sectors to 75%

• Deferring contractual obligations such as paying rent
• Payout of $600 SGD to every Singaporean adult >>
31 Mar: The SG Clean quality assurance will be rolled out to tourism and lifestyle
sectors in the island. Ran by the Singapore Tourism Board and Enterprise
Singapore, they aim to certify 570 hotels, attractions and tourism companies to
help visitors’ and locals’ peace of mind >>
28 Mar: 7,500+ hotel rooms have been booked up by the Singaporean government
for returning Singaporeans and long-term residents to serve their Stay-Home
Notice of 14 days >>
26 Mar: Singapore released its Resilience Package, with many measures supporting
the tourism industry, including:
• Job support scheme for tourism businesses which will subsidise up to 75%
of salary up to $4,600SGD/ month
• $90 million SGD budget for recovery marketing when the time is right
• Property tax rebates and rental waivers
• Enhanced training industry Professionals in Tourism grants extended
• Rebates on certain fees for private bus operators
• $350 million SGD fund for airlines to fund rebates on landing and parking
charges; rental relief for airlines, ground handlers and cargo agents
• CAAS allow Singapore carriers and airport operator to defer payment of
certain fees by up to one year, as well as 50% rebate on regulatory fees >>
22 Mar: All short term visitors to Singapore are barred from entering the country
from 23:59 on 23 Mar >>
18 Mar: Cruise arrivals to Singapore have fallen by 52% since the start of the
outbreak. STB have developed a Cruise Development Fund to provide enhanced
support for companies to boost cruise tourism >>
18 Feb: The Singaporean government have released economic measures to support

the tourism industry, including:
1. $4 billion SGD package

2. Bridging loan programmes for businesses in tourism
3. Rental rebates for shops/ cargo agents at Changi
4. 15% property tax rebate for commercial properties in retail and food
sectors
5. Licence fees for hotels, travel agents and tour guides waived by STB >>
11 Feb: Singapore Tourism Board says that they are expecting a daily loss of
18,000 - 20,000 visitors, with a forecasted fall in tourism arrivals of 30% >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 21 May: Scoot announced that it plans to resume limited flights to Malaysia (Ipoh,
Kuching, Penang) and China (Guangzhou) in June >>
NEW 18 May: Singapore Airlines has set up a task force to help with recovery, which will
look at new travel demands as well as health and travel regulations from
worldwide governments >>
NEW 18 May: Finnair plans to resume flights from Helsinki to Singapore in July, subject
to government approval >>
NEW 18 May: According to Booking.com, the top international destinations their

Singaporean customers had in their wishlist during March and April 2020 were:
Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Bangkok, Seminyak-Bali, Tokyo, Taipei, London and
Osaka >>
NEW 15 May: Singapore has deferred its Hajj plans to 2021, citing concerns over the
pandemic. 900 pilgrims were set to travel in July >>
15 May: Singapore Airlines have said that on increasing fares that "The price of the
air ticket is really a function of demand and supply, and we will adapt these curves
accordingly”. They also questioned the efficacy of social distancing on planes >>
14 May: Singapore Airlines reported its first annual loss in its company history, of
$212 million SGD in its year ending 31 Mar. In Jan – Mar alone, it lost $732 million
SGD, vs. a profit of $203 million SGD YoY >>
14 May: The Japan National Tourism Organisation has launched the Dream Japan
Journey competition for Singapore travel agents to keep their interest in the
destination alive. Prizes include air tickets to Japan >>
14 May: All airports in Singapore have been added to the “European Union List of
Airports considered high risk of transmission” >>
12 May: Singapore’s Changi Airport Terminal 4 will suspend operations from 16

May, with airlines based there relocating to T1 or T3 due to lack of demand >>
10 May: Korean Air will reopen its Seoul – Singapore route in June >>
09 May: Travel Revolution, one of the biggest consumer travel fairs organised by
the Singapore Outbound Travel Agents Association (SOTA) will not be held in 2020
or 2021 due to the uncertainty surrounding travel >>
09 May: Singapore Airlines will introduce obligatory mask wearing on board from
11 May >>
08 May: Singapore Airlines is expecting a loss for the first time ever for its full
financial year which ended on 31 Mar, with results announced on 14 May >>
07 May: Singaporean outbound travel agents are confident that China will remain a
popular tourist destination for Singaporeans >>
06 May: Qatar Airways plan to resume flights from Doha to Singapore by the end of
June >>
03 May: Singapore Airlines is looking at selling and leasing back their aircraft to
raise cash >>
01 May: Jetstar Asia has extended its flight suspension until 31 May >>
25 Apr: Singapore Airlines has extended its flight cancellations until the end of
June, accounting for around 96% of its scheduled services >>
18 Apr: Changi Airport saw a 70.7% drop in passenger numbers in March YoY, with
just 1.65 million pax. The last 7 days of March saw a 98% drop in pax movements
YoY >>
15 Apr: Singapore Airlines group’s carriers recorded a 60.4% drop in passengers in

March, with Singapore Airlines’ passenger carriage down 57.2% vs last year and
SilkAir’s down 71.1% >>
14 Apr: Genting Cruise Lines will enhance their safety and hygiene protocols for its
Dream Cruises and Star Cruises ships, as well as strict health screening prior to
embarkation and disembarkation >>
09 Apr: Jetstar Asia will extend its flight suspension until 19 May, making a total of
8 weeks suspended >>
07 Apr: Singaporean residents who ignore travel advisories and leave Singapore
will not be able to claim under insurers should they be hospitalised >>
06 Apr: Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 will be suspended for 18 months from
1 May, with other operations to be consolidated across the terminals. The
suspension of T2 will allow them to accelerate the building works they had
planned, with the completion date being able to be brought forward by possibly
one year. Changi is also considering suspending operations at T4 temporarily >>
31 Mar: Singapore Airlines has released its reduced schedule for April, with flights
to London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Zurich, Sydney, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh
City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Chongqing, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo only >>
27 Mar: Singapore Airlines is aiming to raise $15 billion SGD with a combination of
issuing new shares and issuing mandatory convertible bonds >>
23 Mar: Singapore Airlines has implemented further paycuts for management and
compulsory no-pay leave. It is cutting 96% of its scheduled capacity til end Apr,
ground 138/ 147 SIA and SilkAir aircraft >>
22 Mar: Scoot, the low-cost carrier arm of Singapore Airlines, has grounded more
than 50 destinations until mid-Apr at least, whilst European routes to Berlin and
Athens will be suspend til end May >>
19 Mar: NATAS Travel Fair has been cancelled from its postponed date of 1 – 3
May. They are reviewing the status of the August fair >>
17 Mar: Singaporeans have been asked to defer all non-essential travel for 30
days >>
THAILAND
Could lose up to 1.93 trillion THB in lost tourism revenue
TRAVEL Flights into Thailand are suspended until 30 Jun (IATA).
RESTRICTIONS
LOCKDOWN Certain types of businesses are allowed to reopen, including hotels, airports, train
STATUS
and bus stations, eateries, small wholesale and retail shops, food markets,
hairdressers, public parks, all subject to social distancing. Further businesses to
open from 17 May, including shopping malls. Schools remain closed. Curfew from
11pm–4am. Phase 3 of lockdown easing could begin 1 Jun.
THAILAND
100 82.00 80.00 82.00 81.00 81.00
72.00 76.00 77.00 77.00 76.00
80 68.00 64.00
60
64.00 60.00 65.00 65.00 63.00 61.00
40 58.00
46.00 50.00
40.00 44.00
20
0
24 Feb 2 Mar 9 Mar 16 Mar 23 Mar 30 Mar 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27-Apr 04-May 14-May
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they will contract
COVID-19
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
T HA I L A N D TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS
CHA N GE % YOY
2.5%
THAILAND
-42.8%
-76.1%
Source: Ministry of Tourism & Sports Thailand 1, 2
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Thailand
Future flight search for travel to Thailand
NEW 24 May: An opinion poll showed that Thai people think tourism will be reduced,
with 71% saying their tourist activities would change, only visiting safe
destinations – and they would be careful in selecting the mode of transport >>
NEW 23 May: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) say that “best-case” scenarios
could be if Chinese travellers return to 70% of 2019’s levels during October, but
are realistic that they will face competition >>
NEW 23 May: Phase 3 of easing lockdown restrictions could start on 1 Jun, with
discussions finalising plans this week. Potential easing could include shortening
the night curfew, hotels reopening and inter-provincial travel allowed once more
>>
NEW 22 May: A special committee to look at financial and fiscal relief measures, as well
as rehabilitation plans across the whole Thai tourism industry has been
established >>
NEW 22 May: Just 1% of tourism-related operators who have applied for soft loans
under Government Savings Bank scheme have had their loans approved. Tourism
operators met with the Tourism Ministry to discuss this issue >>
NEW 21 May: The government are considering waiving quarantine requirements for
travellers from specific nations once international flights resume. "This concept
involves identifying low-risk areas in Thailand and overseas to create a sort of
international tourist bridge or pipeline linking travellers between these two areas,”
said the TAT. Post-pandemic, TAT may also promote golfing to Singaporeans >>
NEW 21 May: Schools are preparing to open nationwide on 1 Jul >>
NEW 20 May: The Thai Baht rallied by 1.5% in May after a drop of 7% from Jan-Apr ’20,
on the back of fresh confidence in a fast economic recovery >>
NEW 19 May: Thailand will rebrand from “Amazing Thailand” to “Amazing Trusted
Thailand”, aimed at selected markets and destinations. TAT told media that he
expected international markets to return to Thailand in October. It is formulating a
plan to market to countries de-listed from its list of “dangerous disease zones”.
Thailand is looking at attracting high spenders from Singapore, China and
Vietnam, to visit designated areas in Thailand on a quota basis. These travellers
would not be subjected to a 14-day quarantine, but would have to provide health
certificates and valid insurance >>
NEW 19 May: 12 tourism organisations representing 173 hotels in Thailand have written
to the PM to ask his support on the matter of European operator TUI owing them 2
billion THB. Instead of agreeing to TUI paying just 25% now, they have demanded
him to negotiate that 50% should be received in May, with the balance by end of
Oct >>
NEW 18 May: According to Booking.com, the top 10 domestic destinations their Thai
customers had in their wishlist during March and April 2020 were: Bangkok, Hua
Hin, Chiang Mai, Koh Chang, Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, Patong Beach, Cha-Am, South
Pattaya and Aonang Beach >> (Thai)
NEW 18 May: Self-drive holidays could become popular, according to Thai tourism
operators, with destinations such as Hua Hin to benefit from the trend. Cross-
border travel between Thailand and Myanmar, and Thailand and Malaysia, could
also prove popular >>
17 May: The incoming flight ban has been extended until 30 Jun. Non-essential
travels between provinces should still be avoided >>
16 May: The second phase of lockdown relaxations start from 17 May, and include
the opening of: major retail and wholesale stores, shopping malls, conference
rooms for meetings from a single organisation, health and beauty clinics, fitness
clubs (with limitations), museums, botanical parks, public swimming pools.
Cinemas, karaoke bars, massage parlours and zoos remain closed >>
16 May: Phuket Airport remains closed after a decision by the Civil Aviation
Authority. Despite last week’s confirmation by the government that quarantine
measures would not be needed for interprovincial travel, provinces are still
imposing a variety of quarantine measures, and Airports of Thailand advise
passengers to check these >>
15 May: China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau will be removed from
Thailand’s list of “dangerous disease zones” from 16 May. 10 other countries
remain on the list, including Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Japan,
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the USA >>
15 May: In a first-ever, the Thai PM visited the offices of the Thai Hotels
Association (THA) and the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), in a strategy
to connect with the stakeholders directly. THA asked the PM for the resumption of
international flights, without a 14-day quarantine. ATTA asked for VAT to be
reduced from 7 to 3% >>
15 May: Bangkok Airways have recommenced their flights from Bangkok – Samui
twice daily >>
15 May: TAT have launched its online tourism marketplace, “Thailand Tourism
Virtual Market” (TTVM), to connect Thai sellers and buyers across the world >>
NEW 14 May: PATA estimate that Thailand’s tourism arrivals are “most likely” to shrink
until Q2 2021 >>
14 May: A new target has been set by the Tourism Ministry of 100 million domestic
trips. Whilst the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) claim that it is reachable, the
Tourism Council of Thailand have said that this target would be difficult to
achieve. Domestic trips in Q1 decreased by 29.5% YoY to 24.1 million trips, which
generated 180 billion THB (down 33.7% YoY). TAT still hope domestic tourism will
earn 1.23 trillion THB in revenue in 2020 >>
14 May: The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has said that the eastern region of
Thailand is suffering the most as it relies mainly on foreign arrivals. The private
sector is working on tourism stimulus measures to propose to the government >>
14 May: Thai billionaire, Dhanin Chearavanont, has urged the government to

reopen the country to overseas visitors, saying that every day costs 16 billion THB
to the economy >>
13 May: TAT sees 3 phases for tourism recovery: the “lockdown exit” where
operators should prepare for the new normal, a “selective opening” where
Thailand would open 50-60% to countries who have contained COVID-19 and an
“extensive opening” which would take 3-6 months to fully open back up >>
12 May: International arrivals may drop by 65% to just 14 million in 2020, from
2019’s 39.8 million >>
12 May: A plan to spend $12.45 billion USD to create jobs and stimulate the
economy has been approved by Thailand’s cabinet >>
12 May: The Ministry of Tourism is considering a levy of 300 THB per pax for
foreign arrivals to cover pandemic insurance, as part of a wider tourism
development plan >>
12 May: The TAT have unveiled a security and health administration certificate,
with hygiene SOPs which tourism businesses must meet to encourage traveller
confidence. The framework is still being developed, but will cover 10 types of
businesses >>
11 May: Thailand’s medical tourism has taken a hit too, with Bumrungrad Hospital,
one of the country’s pioneers, seeing their overseas patients disappear >>
11 May: Thailand’s massage industry, a key element of the tourism industry,

remains in limbo as social distancing obligations continue >>
09 May: Leisure facilities such as gyms, amusement parks, spas and shopping
malls, as well as meeting and seminar convention venues, are expected to open
next week. Health experts are also deciding if China and South Korea should be
removed from the government’s “dangerous communicable disease zones” list.
Visitors would still need a 14-day quarantine and fit-to-fly health certificates >>
09 May: The Thai Hotels Association (THA) urges the government to lift the 14-day
quarantine period for overseas visitors from countries who have controlled virus
spread. They also expect domestic tourism to be the driver for recovery, but it will
not be sufficient as last year Thai domestic tourism accounted for only 50% of
their revenues. They proposed measures such as deferment of buildings tax, and
increase the amount of 2-times tax reduction for Thai people for travel expenses
to 30,000 THB to encourage domestic tourism >>
08 May: Thai hoteliers are owed 2 billion THB by European travel group TUI, with
12 tourist associations preparing to file complaints with the government in the
coming week to assist with negotiations. New contracts TUI have asked hotels to
sign mean that hotels may not be paid some of the debt until 2021 >>
04 May: “We Love Thailand” campaign to launch once COVID-19 situation becomes
normalised, with focus on domestic tourism in secondary cities. The Tourism
Council of Thailand expects that there will be a focus on domestic tourism for the
next 1-2 years, whilst overseas markets expected to return first include China,
South Korea and ASEAN >>
04 May: The government confirmed that there should be no 14-day quarantine for
domestic travellers who cross provinces and that this is just for foreign arrivals,
but must undertake health screenings at each checkpoint. They reinforced that
domestic travel should still be for essential reasons only and be avoided where
possible >> (video)
04 May: 28 airports have been allowed to reopen in Thailand, but they are only
able to receive flights between 7am-7pm >>
02 May: Domestic travellers to Phitsanulok, Buri Ram, Krabi, Trang and Nakhon
Phanom airports will be quarantined, according to the Department of Airports.
Various measures are in place across the different provinces, including from
medical certificates required for entry to Krabi >>
02 May: Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, AirAsia and Thai Vietjet Air reinstated domestic
flights between 14 provinces on 1 May. Additional safety measures have been put
into place at the airports, including:
• Perspex barriers to block contact between passengers and airport officials

• Disinfection of all contact points, as well as luggage
• Airport staff must wear face shields, masks and gloves
• Pax must pass through thermal scanners
• Shuttle buses to/ from aircraft should have a maximum of 20 pax (instead
of 60) >>
02 May: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has urged the government to
extend Social Security Fund (SSF) compensation payments to tourism workers for
more than the standard 90 days, as well as increase the budget for soft loans to
tourism operators >>
01 May: Certain types of businesses will be allowed to reopen from 03 May,

including hotels, airports, train and bus stations, eateries, small wholesale and
retail shops, food markets, hairdressers, public parks, all subject to social
distancing >>
30 Apr: The government is looking at Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan as pilot
destinations for high-end, long-stay tourists, looking for “disease-free” packages.
They anticipate that these could launch in Q4 2020 >>
28 Apr: Bangkok Airways will resume their flights Bangkok – Koh Samui from 15
May, with Koh Samui airport expected to reopen on 15 May >>
27 Apr: The incoming flight ban to Thailand has been extended until 31 May >>
26 Apr: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport will be reopened on 1 May. Airport officials

advised that hygiene steps have been taken, and that extensive repairs have taken
place >>
25 Apr: TAT Governor expects that the Thai government will allow travel within
Thailand first, e.g. one-day trips to nearby provinces within 100-200km, with
limited numbers of tourists at attractions, but is waiting for the Cabinet’s
resolution next week >>
2020, with a loss of $8.289 billion USD in revenue and 2,167,000 jobs >>
24 Apr: China Southern will begin one flight weekly from Guangzhou to Bangkok
starting 6 May >>
21 Apr: A survey by C9 Hotelworks and DAC China Digital Services have shown
that 71% of Chinese travellers interviewed would like to travel to Thailand, 83% as
FITs rather than as groups. The most popular time for them to plan travelling
would be October, and Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai came out as the top
destinations >>
23 Apr: Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air plan to resume domestic flights, dependent
on each province’s decision to ease the lockdown. Thai AirAsia wants to restart on
1 May, whilst Thai Lion Air will wait to announce timing. Airlines flying will need
to take into account new measures including:
• A 70% load factor only

• Flights longer than 90 mins must leave the last 2 rows empty for sick pax
• Pax should wear masks at all times
• No food/ drink to be sold on board, no food to be consumer in flight
• Ceiling of 9.40THB/ km to be set (vs 3-5 THB currently) to avoid too
expensive fares >>
21 Apr: Thai Smile plans to only reopen flights on 1 Jun, rather than their
previously planned 1 May >>
20 Apr: TAT are to introduce an “Amazing Thailand Safety and Health

Administration: SHA certificate”. It will focus on tourist safety, hygiene and
sanitation, convenience and safety and health standards of transportation >>
20 Apr: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched a project
to help MICE players run their events online, and also offer incentives to MICE
venues to upgrade health and safety standards >>
20 Apr: The Phuket governor has said that lockdown restrictions will be lifted on 1
May >>
18 Apr: TAT estimates that Thailand will have only 16 million international tourists
and 60 million domestic trips vs. their target of 40 million and 172 million
respectively. This could cost the industry 1.93 trillion THB ($59.3 billion USD), with
revenue dropping by 62.8%. The authority is working to “push more speed to the
V-shape growth by developing tourism confidence on the supply side" with 8 task
forces to help with immediate solutions for operators, including a focus on
marketing communication and digital skills >>
17 Apr: AirAsia Thailand plans to resume its domestic flights in Thailand on 1 May
>>
16 Apr: Thai government is expanding the financial compensation to workers

affected by the pandemic to those who have lost their job or were suspended due
to COVID-19 >>
15 Apr: The ban on incoming flights has been extended until 30 Apr >>
13 Apr: Dusit Thani are closing its 7 hotels in Thailand and may limit their
expansion plans for 2020 >>
12 Apr: 40,000 airline employees have lost their income due to COVID-19
according to the Thai Pilots Association who has asked the government for
subsidies for those in the industry >>
12 Apr: 3,500 hotel rooms have been requisitioned as quarantines to house the
Thai overseas returnees expected back once the ban on incoming flights has been
lifted >>
09 Apr: Q1 arrivals show a 40% decrease of tourism revenue vs last year (335
billion THB), with international visitors down 38% vs last year according to the
Tourism and Sports Ministry. The Minister said that figures will “deteriorate
further” and he will propose that the Social Security Fund will cover 62% of
tourism workers’ salaries. Hotels close to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok may be
used as quarantine hotels for repatriated Thais >>
08 Apr: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has schedule a roadshow in
southern and central China in May, as well as India, Vietnam and Philippines later
in the year >>
08 Apr: The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has seen a drop of 35.3% in
international visitors arriving in Q1 vs last year >>
07 Apr: A 3rd phase of economic stimulus has been approved, valued at 1.9 trillion
THB, including cash handouts and economic recovery measures. The Bank of
Thailand will also allocate 500 billion THB in soft loans to SMEs, and allow
interest payments to be postponed for 6 months >>
02 Apr: Nationwide curfew implemented between 10pm – 4am from 3 Apr >>
28 Mar: Thai airlines will ask the government for a 16 billion THB lifeline to keep
them afloat in a meeting scheduled for 30 Mar >>
28 Mar: Thai AirAsia will suspend all domestic routes from 1-30 Apr >>
27 Mar: Thailand declared a state of emergency until 30 Apr, including a

nationwide shutdown of shopping malls and entertainment facilities, barring
foreign nationals from entering the country (with a few exceptions) >>
26 Mar: TAT governor said that Chinese outbound tour operators had informed
Thai partners that Zhejiang and Jiangsu have had travel restrictions lifted and are
“desperate to restart business”. The government are putting together guidelines to
assure Chinese tourists of hygiene and safety in Thailand >>
23 Mar: Thailand has closed its nine border checkpoints, including ports, with all
foreign and Thai nationals barred from crossing in and out of Thailand by land and
sea >>
21 Mar: Growth for arrivals to Thailand in 2021 has been set at just 8%, with a
switch from quantity to quality by TAT, as well as set up virtual trade shows >>
02 Mar: Chiang Mai airport has experienced a 40% drop in passenger traffic for the
first 2 months of 2020 vs 2019, and numbers are expected to stay 40% depressed
during H1 2020 >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 23 May: Thai Airways has lost its state enterprise status and will now submit its
application for rehabilitation under bankruptcy law. A “superboard” will be
established to oversee the recovery >>
NEW 22 May: Thai Smile has removed its future planned international schedule until 24
Oct >>
NEW 21 May: Thai Airways will need to dismiss more than 6,000 employees, 30% of its
total staff, once it has entered the bankruptcy procedure >>
NEW 19 May: Thai Airways have extended their suspension of international routes until
at least 30 Jun >>
NEW 18 May: Finnair plans to resume flights from Helsinki to Bangkok in July, subject to
government approval >>
NEW 18 May: According to Booking.com, the top 10 international destinations their Thai
customers had in their wishlist during March and April 2020 were: Tokyo, Seoul,
Osaka, Singapore, Ubud-Bali, London, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Paris and Da Nang >>
(Thai)
16 May: The government is now considering a rehabilitation plan for Thai Airways
that could include bankruptcy law. Plans to rescue the carrier have still not been
finalised, despite earlier news >>
11 May: Thai Airways has filed details of its flights to be resumed, including
international flights, from 1 Jul. Destinations include New Zealand, China,
Australia, India, Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UK, Cambodia, Japan,
France, South Korea, Taiwan, Myanmar and Switzerland >>
08 May: Thai Airways International union has written a letter to the government
opposing privatisation and the potential spinning off of business units, as well as
no forced lay-offs, with the union to have a seat at the table on crucial decisions
>>
06 May: Qatar Airways plan to resume flights from Doha to Bangkok by the end of
June >>
05 May: The Thai International Travel Fair has been postponed from August 2020
to January 2021 >>
05 May: The government’s loan to Thai Airways will be its last chance, the PM has
warned, and will need a full restructuring >>
30 Apr: Thai Airways will receive a 50 billion THB loan from the Thai government
to help it stay afloat. This amount is less than the 70 billion THB the airline was
seeking >>
23 Apr: Airports of Thailand announced new measures for airlines and businesses,
including a 50% reduction in rents, terminal fees and landing charges from Apr to
Dec >>
23 Apr: Thai Airways has enough cashflow to pay employees for just one more
month, and has asked for the government to approve a 70 billion THB bridge loan
to survive >>
22 Apr: Airports of Thailand (who operate 6 airports in the country) have stated
that they expect passenger numbers to drop 53% this year vs last year. It expects
domestic flights to recover before international flights, and that APAC destinations
will play a big role in the recovery of their business, counting for 80% of
destinations >>
22 Apr: 8 airlines met the Thai Finance Ministry to request a 16-billion THB bailout
to pay staff >>
19 Apr: Thai Lion Air is reducing its headcount and have made 120 staff redundant,
but dismissed claims that it was to permanently close down >>
17 Apr: The government has formed a working group to look at rescuing Thai
Airways, but any rescue must be supported by the airline showing the ability to
survive as a national carrier >>
09 Apr: Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) in Bangkok will start construction
work earlier than planned to upgrade the interior of the international terminal to
take advantage of the slowdown >>
09 Apr: 15,000 tour operators are at risk of collapsing due to cash flow issues,
affecting more than 300,000 employees. ATTA are calling for more government
support, as 11 sectors still cannot access government aid funds for businesses >>
30 Mar: Bangkok Airways is suspending 20 international routes until October, with

cuts to staff salary >>
25 Mar: Thai Airways have suspended all flights to Europe from 1 Apr to 31 May
while regional flights will be suspended from 25 Mar to 31 May, including
destinations such as Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Cambodia, South Korea,
Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka >>
23 Mar: Thai Lionair have suspended their domestic and international flights until
1 May or the COVID-19 outbreak situation eases, whichever is earlier >>
21 Mar: Thai AirAsia will suspend international flights from 22 Mar to 25 Apr.
Domestic flights continue to run normally >>
18 Mar: Some 40 Thai outbound travel agent wholesalers are trapped by strict Thai
laws to refund customers, as they have paid air ticket deposits of $900k - $1.23
million USD, according to the TTAA >>
18 Mar: Thai Airways cancels 32 flights to 12 countries, including to Nepal,

Pakistan, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland,
Russia and Norway >>
28 Feb: Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) said that Thai outbound travellers
may drop to 8-9 million vs. 2019's 11 million if the virus impact continues >>
26 Feb: Health Minister warns Thais against travelling overseas: “Those who are
planning to travel abroad in this period, if it’s possible to avoid that, please avoid
it,” Mr Anutin Health Minister said. “We are entering a full war with Covid-19. For
the airlines, please reduce promotions. Even though tickets are cheap, it could be
your last holiday.” >>
VIETNAM
$7 billion USD damage done so far to Vietnam’s tourism
industry; potential 75% drop in international visitors
TRAVEL All foreigners will not be permitted to enter Vietnam and all international flights
RESTRICTIONS
will be cancelled until further notice. Experts, business managers or highly skilled
workers can enter with relevant permissions. Domestic flights are permitted (IATA).
LOCKDOWN Businesses, including non-essential ones, reopened. Schools are opened. Face
STATUS
masks should be worn in public places, but social distancing not required on
public transport. Clubs and karaoke bars remain closed. Sports activities and
crowded events can run.
VIETNAM
100 89.00 88.00 89.00 86.00 90.00 89.00
78.00 81.00
80
60
40
20
0
23 Mar 30 Mar 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27-Apr 04-May 14-May
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that
they will contract COVID-19
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
VI ET N A M TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS
CHA N GE % YOY
32.8%
VIETNAM
-21.8%
-68.1%
Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Vietnam
Future flight search for travel to Vietnam
NEW 22 May: The Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)
has said that they are preparing to welcome visitors from countries and territories
who have responded effectively to COVID-19, and that they will submit a schedule
of gradually eased visa restrictions and resumption of flight routes to the
government: “Southeast and Northeast Asia will be the first markets to be targeted
by VNAT’s promotion programs in the fourth quarter.” Local airlines Vietnam
Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways are also keen to restart international
flights, which account for around 50% of their revenue >>
NEW 21 May: Total number of scheduled airline seats in Vietnam grew w/c 11 May by
3.8% to 585,025, with a jump of 28% expected w/c 18 May >>
NEW 21 May: Google has revealed that search results for domestic flights in Vietnam
has increased by 85% YoY, with the hottest destinations being Hanoi, HCMC,
Danang, Dalat, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hue and Quy Nhon. Searches for sea and
island tourism has doubled over the past 6 weeks, and interest in national parks
has also grown >>
NEW 19 May: “Safe haven” advertising should be used for Vietnam to attract more
tourists, according to VinaCapital who estimate that tourist arrivals could drop by
60%. They suggest that resorts sealed off from the virus, or even entire islands,
could be designated safe for overseas travellers >>
NEW 18 May: A report from Savills has said that “hospitality is now seeing a careful
recovery and hopes of things returning to normal.” >>
16 May: Vietnam Airlines and the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) launched a
programme to stimulate domestic tourism. It calls for all tourism companies to
develop new products at discounted, affordable rates. Over 150 companies had
signed up so far, including 6 of the leading tour operators in Vietnam, with
discounts of up to 40% for 6 to go packages >>
16 May: A new 12-seater luxury coach will connect Danang with Quy Nhon from
early July >>
16 May: A survey by VNExpress showed 85% of their Vietnamese readers are

planning for travel in 2020. Some key findings were:
• 50% of respondents said they would make short trips of 2-3 days
• 60.5% would travel with family
• 67.2% said they would like to visit coastal areas
• 50% said they would travel by plane, 20% by car and 18% would hire cars.
Just 2.2% would use trains
• 44.1% would book hotels and tours online, whilst 29.3% would book via
tour operators >>
15 May: The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) expects 2

scenarios this year:
• International arrivals to decrease by 70% if COVID-19 is controlled by Jun,

or
• International arrivals to decrease by 75% if it controlled by Sep
• The hotel market is expected to recover only in 2021. According to a new
report, the Hanoi sector has seen more positive signs than HCMC. Room
rates in Hanoi are expected to decrease by 8-20%, and occupancy levels
46-55%, whilst in HCMC room rates may drop 10-22% and occupancy 40-
49% >>
14 May: Travel agents such as Saigontourist and TST Tourist are developing
attractive domestic tour packages for small groups, and with themes such as eco-
tourism. 5* hotels in the country are also offering discounts of 20–50% >>
14 May: No new airlines will be allowed to operate until the aviation market has
recovered – this affects Vietravel Airlines, Kite Air and Vietstar Airlines, who are all
awaiting permits. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said that the
aviation market was seeing “rapid recovery”, but that the domestic market would
not recover until mid-2021. The Ministry of Transport said that this year the
aviation market would drop by 46% vs 2019 >>
14 May: License fees for international and domestic tourism firms has been
reduced by 50% from 6 May until 2020 year end. Fees for a tour guide card have
also been reduced from $14 USD to $4 USD >>
13 May: Domestic flights are seeing seating get close to full capacity, with Vietjet
seeing flights full at 90% capacity on certain routes, and Vietnam Airlines at 82%.
Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport has seen 24-25,000 pax daily. The CAAV has said airlines
are carrying 39,000 pax daily, equivalent to 38% of last year’s daily average >>
13 May: Vietnam Airlines will open 5 more domestic routes in May, supporting the
government’s campaign “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam” >>
13 May: Hanoi’s tourism attractions, such as the Temple of Literature, Ngoc Son
Temple and Hoa Lo Prison, are to reopen on 14 May, with temperature checks in
place and visitors to wear face masks. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum also reopened
on 12 May >>
12 May: A new domestic travel campaign, “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam”

has been launched and will run from 1 Jun to 31 Dec. It will be implemented
nationwide >>
12 May: Bamboo Airways has requested permission to open up a new air route
from Hanoi/ HCMC to Con Dao Islands. The only other airline to fly to the
destination is VASCO (Vietnam Air Services Company) >>
11 May: The Mekong Delta saw 50,000 visitors during the 4-day long weekend in
early May – a huge drop YoY, but an indication of green shoots. Q1 international
arrivals were down 59% YoY, and revenue down 62% >>
11 May: Danang will launched the Fantastic Danang Festival 2020 to boost
tourism, scheduled to run from Jun to Sep. Highlights include an opening
ceremony, music festival, flash mob bikini performance, art installation and
Vietnamese food festival, amongst others >>
07 May: Vietnam has allowed the opening of non-essential services, except for
clubs and karaoke bars. Sports activities and crowded events are allowed to run,
but participants should wear face masks. The Ministry of Tourism has also been
instructed to share plans on promoting safe tourism, as well as foreign tourists >>
07 May: Vietnam Airlines Group (including Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific) will
increase frequency from 16 May. Vietnam Airlines will restore its entire network,
and is looking at new routes >>
07 May: All beaches are now reopened in Vietnam, following the Ba Ria-Vung Tau
beach opening on 07 May >>
06 May: A survey showed that 45% of Chinese travellers would consider Vietnam
as a destination, with HCMC, Hanoi, Nha Trang and Halong Bay amongst the top
places to visit >>
06 May: During the recent long weekend (30 Apr – 3 May), carriers had a 70-80%
load factor on Hanoi – HCMC, and 60-70% on those to Danang. Vietnamese
carriers will now be allowed to remove social distancing and limitations on
passenger numbers on aircraft, but must still remain 1m from each other whilst
passing through the airport. Airlines are also allowed to increase flight frequency
according to demand. >>
06 May: Since the lifting of lockdown, Vietnam has seen an increase in online
bookings for hotels and flight tickets instead of via travel agents. AZA Tourism
Company has seen an increase in short tours, family trips and small groups. HCMC
Tourism Association has also started promoting domestic tour packages selling at
up to 40% off >>
06 May: According to research by HVS, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) at Vietnamese
hotels fell by 11%, and the Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) dropped by
05 May: The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) have proposed that
domestic flights further be increased (to 52 daily flights Hanoi – HCMC) and
passengers be allowed to sit in middle seats >>
04 May: Vietravel, a leading tour operator in Vietnam, has reported Q1 revenue has
dropped 40% YoY >>
04 May: Hanoi hotels have seen a 49% decrease in Q1 revenues for 3* and 4*
hotels, with 153 hotels in the downtown areas closed between Feb and Mar >>
04 May: A tourism stimulus package for Sapa has been launched. It will run from
May – Jun, and accommodation providers will lower rates by 30-60%. Sapa’s visitor
numbers reduced by 50% in March YoY and 100% in April YoY >>
04 May: Can Tho will target domestic travellers to recover, as well as international
markets such as Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. International arrivals
to the city were down 76.3% and domestic travellers down 74.5% April YTD >>
02 May: Many tourist attractions across Vietnam, with the exception of some
located in Hanoi, have reopened to welcome travellers over the long May weekend
>>
01 May: Vietnam’s April YTD figures show a drop of 37.8% YoY, at just 3.7 million
visitors. April alone’s numbers have dropped by 94.8% YoY >>
29 Apr: The Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board has asked for a government
guaranteed credit package of $6.4 billion to help tourism businesses with loans,
valued at around 25% of total tourism revenue in 2019, provided they meet certain
conditions >>
29 Apr: Around 13,000 tourism workers in the Thua Thien-Hue Province are
currently unemployed according to a report from the local Tourism Association.
They call for more ways to support businesses to participate in tourism promotion
both locally and overseas, as well as government support with loans and
reductions in tax and land rental >>
28 Apr: Domestic flight frequency will be expanded, with the Civil Aviation
Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) suggesting additional flights from 1-15 May
between Hanoi – HCMC to 33 daily, and 11 between Hanoi – Danang/ HCMC –
Danang. From 16 May, this frequency will be further increased. They also propose
the lifting of restrictions that passengers should be 1m apart and pax numbers not
exceed 50% of total capacity >>
28 Apr: Phu Quoc island has reopened, with tourism and travel firms allowed to
operate for domestic travellers. Ferry and air services have resumed service to the
island >>
27 Apr: The number of air travellers between 1 – 23 Apr was just 1–2% of the total
before the pandemic according to the government >>
27 Apr: Tourist sites in Quang Binh province have been reopened, after visits
dropped by 27% YoY. Limits are still in place including that groups should not be
bigger than 20 people >>
25 Apr: Vietnam Airlines has increased flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
and will expand service between Hanoi and Danang, coming back to about 30% of
its normal routes. International routes are still not opened >>
2020, with a loss of $4.347 billion in revenue and 989,500 jobs >>
23 Apr: Domestic flights and inter-provincial buses resumed operation on 22 Apr,

albeit with a limited service >>
22 Apr: The government announced a lifting of the lockdown restrictions

nationwide, with the exception of a few hotspots >>
22 Apr: 90% of travel firms interviewed for a survey say they need government
loans to survive. 70.8% saw Q1 revenue fall 70% YoY, and 78% chose to cut wages
or staff. However, 82.7% expect business to return to normal in Q3 >>
16 Apr: Entry to Vietnam will still be strictly controlled until 30 Apr, including visa
issuance halted, and international flights limited >>
16 Apr: Hanoi have paused their 5-year promotional package with CNN worth $4
million USD due to COVID-19. The package will be picked up again at a later date
>>
16 Apr: Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Jetstar Pacific have increased domestic flights
between Hanoi, HCMC and Danang >>
16 Apr: Vietjet has launched their “Power Pass”, which will let consumers take
unlimited flights within Vietnam during the validity of the pass, either 30 Sep
2020 or 31 Mar 2021, to boost their sales >>
15 Apr: Lockdown measures will be extended in 12 high-risk localities including

Hanoi, HCMC and Danang. This will be until 22 Apr or 30 Apr, possibly longer. Low
risk localities should still continue to suspend unnecessary activities >>
14 Apr: More than 20,000 HCMC tourism workers at hotels and tourist
accommodation have been made redundant or put on unpaid leave according to
the Municipal Department. Hotels reported a 58% decline YoY in turnover. 90% of
more than 1,000 SME travel firms suspended operations. Unemployed will receive
monthly relief payments of $42 USDpp for 3 months >>
10 Apr: Vietnam’s Q1 arrivals were down 18.1% according to the General Statistics
Office >>
09 Apr: The Airports Corporation of Vietnam which operates 21 airports in Vietnam,

has seen its pre-tax profits fall by 24% in Q1 vs. last year. It also forecast that
domestic travel will be 60 - 70% lower in April and May vs. last year >>
09 Apr: Vietnam will delay collecting $7.6 billion USD in taxes and land rent to
help businesses >>
09 Apr: Danang have created a Tourism Promotion Fund of nearly $70,000 USD
which will focus on effective tourism operations, organising events and looking at
Hindu and Muslim tourists’ needs. Q1 has seen a drop of 21% in tourism revenue
>>
07 Apr: Taseco Air, who specialise in non-air services at Vietnam’s airports,

estimates its profits will drop 90% this year >>
06 Ap: Ho Chi Minh City’s Q1 tourism arrivals fell 42% vs. last year, with revenue
down 26% >>
03 Apr: The Vietnamese aviation industry could lose $3.4 billion USD in revenue
and 749,700 jobs this year, according to estimates from IATA, with passenger
demand down by 34% >>
02 Apr: Vietnam Airlines will lose 50 trillion dong ($2.12 billion USD) this year in
revenue, with up to 10,000 staff on unpaid leave or salary cuts >>
02 Apr: The latest arrival statistics showed that the number of foreign visitors to
Vietnam in March was down 63.8% vs. Feb 2020, and 68% down year-on-year. The
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism sees 10 inbound and outbound tour
operators shutdown daily. Hoi An and Danang are the most affected destinations
in the country due to their reliance on tourism. Saigontourist Travel Service and
Vietravel, 2 major travel agencies in Vietnam both have drops of 80% YoY >>
02 Apr: The government is planning a $2.6 billion USD relief fund, with support for
6 different groups of people >>
31 Mar: National pandemic declared, with a 15-day lockdown period nationwide to

start on Apr 1, with suspended public transport and limited provincial travel >>
31 Mar: Domestic flights to be reduced to 2 flights a day between Hanoi and Ho

Chi Minh City, and one flight per day from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang
>>
16 Mar: Many popular tourism sites have closed to visitors, including My Son
Sanctuary, Hoi An, Hue Imperial Citadel Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa >>
04 Mar: Vietnam has lost $7 billion in tourism revenue in January & February 2020,
with hotel guests declining by 60 - 70% according to Government Office chief Mai
Tien Dung >>
03 Mar: The Vietnamese government will spend $1.16 billion as an economic

stimulus, including tax breaks, delayed tax payments and reductions in land
leases >>
02 Mar: Latest tourist arrivals data shows that Feb is -38% vs Jan, and -21.8% vs
2019. Overall growth for Jan and Feb 2020 in visitors was +4.8%, the slowest
growth for 5 years. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)
estimates that the damage could be $5.9 - 7.7 billion USD over Q1 2020 >>
02 Mar: Ho Chi Minh City's arrival have fallen 62% YoY in Jan and Feb 2020, with
88,000 visitors cancelling and $40 million drop in revenue. Ho Chi Minh City
Tourism Department has proposed 50% cut in taxes for tourism related businesses,
as well as visa waivers for Australian, Russian, New Zealand and Canadian
nationals >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 21 May: Asiana Airlines plans to increase the number of flights from Seoul to Hanoi
and HCMC >>
NEW 21 May: The CAAV has made a proposal to upgrade Tho Xuan airport in central
Vietnam into an international airport, with a plan to increase its capacity from 1.2
million pax annually to 5 million by 2030 >>
NEW 20 May: Vietnam Airlines is now accepting reservations for international flights
from Hanoi/ HCMC to Seoul, effecting June >>
NEW 19 May: Bamboo Airways continues its expansion and expects to sign a $2 billion
USD contract with General Electric. The airline hopes to double its domestic routes
to 60 in 2020, and its international routes from 6 to 25 >>
14 May: Bamboo Airlines has been authorised by Japan to begin flights from Hanoi
and HCMC to Tokyo and Osaka as of 20 May. However, the operation of the flights
will be delayed >>
10 May: Korean Air will reopen its Seoul – Hanoi/ HCMC routes in June >>
08 May: The CAAV proposed a partial lift of the suspension of international flights
from 1 Jun, with priority given to foreign experts and investors >>
07 May: Vietnam Airlines has announced its next Chinese route will be HCMC -
Hangzhou, starting on 2 Jul, subject to restrictions being lifted >>
07 Apr: Vietnam Airlines says it needs $509 million USD financial support from the
government, with revenues falling in Q1 by 26% vs last year. In worst case
scenarios, it forecasts a loss of $836 million USD this year >>
05 Apr: Vietravel Airlines, slated to launch in October, has postponed its plans due
to COVID-19. The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has estimated that
damage caused to Vietnamese airlines stopping flights so far is around $1.3 billion
USD. Their worst case scenario is passenger traffic would be down 22.6% vs last
year >>
31 Mar: All international passenger flights should be cancelled from 1 Apr – 15

Apr >>
20 Mar: Vietjet and Jetstar Pacific will be suspending ASEAN flight routes from 20
Mar - 30 Apr. Bamboo Airways will delay its inaugural flight to Prague and has
suspended international flights. Vietnam Airlines has suspended all international
routes on its network until 30 Apr >>
13 Feb: Vietnam Airlines are losing $10.8 million in revenue a week due to travel
curbs. Domestic travel has fallen 20 to 30% over the first half of Feb >>
ABOUT PEAR
ANDERSON
Pear Anderson is a boutique travel-industry consultancy firm, experts in Southeast

Asian outbound tourism. They partner across the spectrum of tourism-related
organisations to build a lasting foundation in SEA, a market set to be worth USD
$76 billion by 2025.
The global Muslim travel segment is an additional specialisation. Pear Anderson

specialises in the Muslim market, providing unique insights, research and training
on this lucrative segment.
For more information on how we can help you to understand the Southeast Asian
tourism market, contact us at:
hello@pearanderson.com
http://www.pearanderson.com
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THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY

With the declaration of a pandemic, as well as the closing of borders and

Cambodia Partial Visa restrictions Discouraged 124 0

Data accurate as of 20:35 (UTC+8) on 24 May 2020

Domestic travel on the rise in the past 2 weeks but 99%

Celebrations for Eid underway but lockdown restrictions

Lockdown restrictions continue to be lifted,

Government creates confusion suggesting travel agents

Curfew hours eased; tourism roadmap developed.

Tourism arrivals for Jan-Apr drop 54.02% YoY.

Singaporeans looking to next phase of easing lockdown

Thailand rebranded to “Amazing Trusted Thailand”,

Domestic tourism continues with strong development;

Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Cambodia

Future flight search for travel to Cambodia

Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard

13 May: Schools may open only in November >>

12 May: The Ministry of Tourism urged all accommodation providers to improve

30 Apr: The State of Emergency legislation, which is designed to help counter

unemployed; 10,000 of whom worked at tour operators, 10,000 at hotels, 6,000

04 May: Outbound Cambodian tourists decreased 32% YoY to 308,350 >>

08 Apr: Cambodia Airways is still committed to expanding post COVID-19 >>

Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20

Source: Statistics Indonesia

Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Indonesia

Future flight search for travel to Indonesia

Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard

15 May: Bali could be reopened to tourists in October, the Indonesian government

14 May: A government investigation is underway after photos showing a crowded

08 May: The Indonesian government is looking at plans to partially reopen

• Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport arrivals: -64%

06 May: Public transportation of all means, including flights, will be allowed to

05 May: Hotel occupancy dropped to 32.2% in March, according to the Indonesian

02 May: The number of employees affected by COVID-19 in the tourism sector is

29 Apr: 5 schemes have been introduced to support MSMEs, including tax

15 Apr: Lockdown expanded to include Jakarta’s satellite cities in Bekasi, Bogor

07 Apr: Traveloka, a large Indonesian OTA, has had to make redundancies,

06 Apr: Occupancy is below 2% according to PHRI. They have asked the

30 Mar: Stricter rules on social distancing are to be implemented, including the

29 Mar: Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport is temporarily stopping operations at

18 Mar: Indonesian government announced a 2nd emergency stimulus package of

The government is also providing an additional fund to support airlines with

NEW 18 May: For Booking.com’s Indonesian travellers, their top 10 international

11 May: Indonesia is looking at a rescue plan of $1 billion USD for Garuda

05 May: Garuda Indonesia is discussing repayments due in June as cashflow issues

NEW 21 May: Domestic travel is now permitted in Laos >>

16 May: Laoskyway will resume flight services on 24 May >>

30 Apr: Laos’ Q1 domestic and foreign visitors totalled 886,440, representing a

15 Apr: Lockdown extended by 14 days until 03 May >>

29 Mar: Laos will be under lockdown, with international and interprovincial

Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Malaysia

Future flight search for travel to Malaysia

Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard

09 May: MATTA wants the government to relook at travel restrictions, as well as

• One-off cash payment of RM600 to licensed van operators

22 Apr: Penang has established a special taskforce to generate a tourism strategy

17 Apr: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) forecasts losses of RM3.3

08 Apr: 31 hotels have been gazetted as quarantine centres >>

30 Mar: Malaysian government admits that airlines need specific measures

27 Mar: MATTA have expressed disappointment at the government’s new stimulus

27 Mar: The Malaysian government announced a new economic stimulus package

• $4.75 billion USD relief package