According to travel firm ForwardKeys, international airline bookings to Southeast Asia had reached 38% of pre-pandemic levels by late March, up from less than 10% at the beginning of the year. The increase was led by Singapore and the Philippines, with the Philippines tourism minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat noting that they were the first to streamline arrival procedures, allowing tourists to move freely upon arrival. These nations now mandate that vaccinated travelers only need to undergo a rapid antigen test before they arrive, whereas Thailand's more intricate requirements have caused the former popular tourist destination to fall out of favor. According to data from ForwardKeys, bookings in Singapore and the Philippines have reached 72% and 65% of 2019 levels, respectively, while Thailand is only at 24%. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, pointed out that the cost of on-arrival PCR tests, ranging from 2,000-2,500 baht ($60-$75), can be a significant burden, particularly for groups, leading people to be reluctant to travel. She also mentioned that if another country has less entry requirements, individuals would prefer to travel there to avoid any unnecessary hassle. It is important to note that bookings serve as a predictive indicator, and arrival statistics also include returning locals. Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst, pointed out that compared to Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines have significant outbound markets. In Asia, however, the recovery from the pandemic is slower than in other regions such as Europe. 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, a year behind the rest of the world. For instance, visitor numbers to Singapore in February increased significantly compared to the previous year due to relaxed entry restrictions, but this was still only 9% of the arrivals in February 2020, and included a large number of work visa holders from Malaysia and India. The governor of Thailand's central bank stated on Monday that it will take until 2026 for the country to fully recover. In 2019, tourism made up 12% of Thailand's GDP. Southeast Asia, known for its beautiful beaches, historic buildings, and warm weather, contributed $380.6 billion to the region's GDP in 2019, accounting for 11.8% of the total, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Due to strict lockdowns, Chinese tourists, who once made up the largest group of international travelers in Asia, are currently unable to travel. More than 25% of the 40 million tourists who visited Thailand in 2019 were from China. This year, Thailand is expecting between 5 million and 10 million international arrivals from countries like Malaysia and other Southeast Asian neighbors. Japan is not allowing tourists to travel, resulting in low numbers of travelers to Southeast Asia, while the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has deterred many Russian tourists from visiting the region. In 2021, a third of travelers to Southeast Asia have been from Europe, an increase from 22% in 2019, while North American visitors have more than doubled from 9% to 21% in the same time period, according to ForwardKeys. Asian travelers have made up just 24% of visitors so far this year, down from 57% in 2019. "Over the past month, there has been a significant improvement in the tourism industry in Europe," stated Rabil Lian, a tour guide with a reputable travel agency in Singapore. After holding a temporary government job during the pandemic, Lian, 51, has returned to his position and has noticed a surge in bookings. He has led five tour groups to Europe in the last four months and has observed an increasing interest in Australia as a destination. However, many travelers are waiting for Japan and Taiwan to relax their travel restrictions. In Vietnam, the number of foreign tourists has nearly doubled in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous year. The country recently removed most restrictions, but anticipates only about 25% of the international visitors it had in 2019. A Singaporean journalist who visited Vietnam last month noted that popular food stores were still open due to domestic demand, indicating that the absence of tourism over the past two years did not create a significant impact.