"Honestly, I don't think we are even halfway there yet to rebuilding South-east Asia tourism. It went down to such low levels that everything compared to last year is a big increase," said Ms Hannah Pearson, founding partner of travel consultancy firm Pear Anderson.
Thailand was one of the first movers in the region to ease border restrictions, beginning with the experiment to ring-fence the island of Phuket for tourists in July 2021. According to official figures, some 1.07 million tourists came in July, with those from Malaysia, India and Singapore leading the pack.'Sell premium': Thailand discourages discounts, wants high-value tourists
Globally, the cost of air tickets has also gone up by at least 20 per cent, said Mr Toni Tran, managing director of Bravo Asia Tour that caters to clients from the United States, Europe and Australia. Ms Pearson said:"These shifts have caused breakages in the travel chain, people have to find new contacts or operators to work with. Things are just messier."