According to travel firm ForwardKeys, international airline bookings to Southeast Asia had reached 38% of pre-pandemic levels by late March, compared to less than 10% at the beginning of the year. Singapore and the Philippines saw a significant increase in bookings, with Philippines tourism minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat stating that they were the first to cut through bureaucratic obstacles, allowing tourists to freely explore upon arrival. According to the data from ForwardKeys, Singapore and Philippines have seen bookings at 72% and 65% of 2019 levels, respectively, while Thailand's bookings are only at 24%. The more complicated entry requirements in Thailand, such as the costly on-arrival PCR test, have caused it to lose its status as a top tourist destination. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, mentioned that the high cost of the PCR test has made people hesitant to travel to Thailand, as it can be a significant expense, especially for groups. As a result, travelers may choose to visit countries with less strict entry requirements to avoid the hassle and additional costs. It is important to note that bookings are a forward-looking indicator, and arrival figures also include returning locals. According to independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie, Singapore and the Philippines have significant outbound markets compared to Thailand. Asia is experiencing a slower recovery compared to other regions such as Europe, which eased restrictions months ago. The International Air Transport Association predicts that domestic and international air travel within the Asia Pacific will only reach 68% of 2019 levels this year and will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025, one year behind the rest of the world. For instance, visitor numbers to Singapore in February increased significantly compared to the previous year due to eased restrictions, but were still only 9% of February 2020 levels, with an increase in holders of work visas from Malaysia and India. The governor of Thailand's central bank stated that it will take the country until 2026 to fully recover. In 2019, tourism made up about 12% of Thailand's GDP. Southeast Asia, known for its beaches, historical sites, and warm weather, contributed $380.6 billion to the region's GDP in 2019, accounting for 11.8% of the total. Chinese tourists, who were once the largest group of international travellers to Southeast Asia, are currently unable to travel due to strict lockdowns. In 2019, over a quarter of the 40 million tourists who visited Thailand were Chinese. This year, Thailand is expecting between 5 million and 10 million international arrivals from countries like Malaysia and other Southeast Asian neighbors. Japan, which is currently closed to tourists, has had very few travelers to Southeast Asia. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has deterred many Russian tourists from visiting the region. In 2021, a third of travelers to Southeast Asia were from Europe, up from 22% in 2019, while North American tourists have more than doubled to 21% from 9% in 2019. The percentage of travelers from Asia has decreased to 24% this year, down from 57% in 2019, according to ForwardKeys. "Things have significantly improved in Europe recently," stated Rabil Lian, a tour guide for a prominent travel agency in Singapore. After temporarily working for the government during the pandemic, Lian has returned to his job and has noticed a surge in bookings. Over the past four months, the 51-year-old has led five tour groups to Europe and has observed an increasing interest in Australia as a travel destination. However, many are anticipating the relaxation of rules in Japan and Taiwan. In Vietnam, the number of foreign tourists has almost doubled in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year." The country recently removed almost all restrictions, but it anticipates only a fraction of the international visitors it had in 2019. A Singaporean journalist who recently visited Vietnam noted that many popular food stores were still open due to domestic demand, and he did not feel a significant impact from the lack of tourism in the past two years.