THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST
ASIAN WEEKLY SUMMARY TOURISM 22 NOV 2020 Hannah Pearson INDUSTRY [email protected]
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.
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IMPACT SUMMARY Week ending Sunday 22nd November 2020
INBOUND TRAVEL OUTBOUND TRAVEL COUNTRY LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS RESTRICTIONS CASES DEATHS
Cambodia None Visa restrictions Discouraged 306 0 Indonesia Partial Visa restrictions Restricted 497,668 15,884 Laos None Visa restrictions Discouraged 25 0 Malaysia Partial Visa restrictions Restricted 54,775 335 Myanmar Partial Visa restrictions Discouraged 77,848 1,722 Philippines Partial Visa restrictions Permitted 418,818 8,123 Singapore Partial Visa restrictions Restricted 58,160 28 Thailand None Visa restrictions Flight restriction 3,913 60 Vietnam None Visa restrictions Flight restriction 1,306 35
Data accurate as of 20:17 (UTC+8) on 22 Nov 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
PM declares an end to the “November 3 event” after risk CAMBODIA of 2nd wave contained. On Page 4 • $350 million USD non-gaming resort near • Cambodia’s 3 international airports average 33 Angkor Wat planned by NagaWorld flights daily in total
Garuda Indonesia’s shareholders approve issuing bonds INDONESIA up to $600 million USD. On Page 12 • Tourism losses have now exceeded $7.1 billion • Bali to be developed as medical tourism centre USD with 550,000 lay-offs at hotels
Vang Vieng has received over 1.1 million visitors over LAOS the last 5 years. On Page 36 • 12 days of Luang Prabang Christmas tourism • Luang Prabang tourism industry struggling campaign to be launched
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Domestic tourism permitted within and between states MALAYSIA which are green zones from 22 Nov. On Page 40 • CMCO lifted early for Kedah, Melaka, Johor and • MAS seeks extra funding from state wealth fund Terengganu states Khazanah Nasional
Domestic flights ban extended until 30 Nov; gov. MYANMAR encourages citizens to stay at home until 5 Dec. On Page 71 • Irrawaddy dolphins’ habitat may be submitted as • Trekking facilities to be built at Khaw-nu-soum UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site Mount to encourage tourism
Prices of RT-PCR tests to be brought down to more PHILIPPINES affordable rates to encourage domestic tourism. On Page 78 • Tourist arrivals to Boracay have increased and • Only 100 mil PHP out of working loans fund of 6 now average 95/ daily bil PHP has been claimed by tourism MSMEs
Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble delayed by 2 SINGAPORE weeks as cases rise in Hong Kong. On Page 105 • Travellers ex Malaysia, Japan, must now serve • PM says he expects cross-border travel to be 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities restricted for at least 2 more years
THAILAND TAT aims for 70 million domestic tourists by year-end.
On Page 131 • 10-day quarantine approved “in principle”, but • 60-day tourist visa quietly removes requirement not in force yet of 500,000 THB savings for applicants
Vietnam Airlines’ $520 million USD rescue plan
VIETNAM unanimously approved by the government. On Page 165 • Vietnam International Travel Mart underway in • Long Thanh International Airport plans to start Hanoi, with over 10,000 packages on sale construction in Dec and be completed by 2025
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CAMBODIA Tourism industry stands to lose $5 billion USD.
TRAVEL All visa exemptions, visas on arrival and e-visas are suspended. Travellers must RESTRICTIONS have valid medical certificates issued 72hrs prior to travel, proof of medical insurance worth up to $50k USD, be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and undertake a 14-day quarantine with a re-test on the 14th day. They must deposit $2,000 USD on arrival (IATA).
LOCKDOWN Schools reopened nationwide. Karaoke parlours, beer gardens closed. Museums STATUS and cinemas permitted to reopen from 23 Nov.
Flight searches and booking volume for Future flight search for travel to travel to Cambodia Cambodia
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
13 Nov: Cambodia has been added to the UK government’s travel corridor list >>
13 Nov: From 18 Nov, foreign arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the European Union and the US who have a sponsor must have a negative certificate within 72 hours of their departure, and have a test upon arrival. They must isolate in a hotel until the results are released, then will be permitted to leave after giving a planned schedule. Diplomats must also provide a certificate stating they are free of COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure, have a test on arrival, and wait at least 24 hours at a hotel or quarantine for their results. Those foreigners who arrive without sponsorship must now stay in a
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government-designated hotel for a 2-week mandatory quarantine, and are not permitted to quarantine at home >>
7 Nov: Cambodia is set to reform its immigration and visa policies next year, making them more bureaucratic and expensive. They may introduce a longer stay visa >>
5 Nov: Travel bubble talks with SE Asian nations are expected to be submitted for approval in late Nov, aiming to implement them in Q1 2021 >>
30 Oct: The Ministry of Tourism has drafted a special tourism policy which is being discussed with the private sector – it aims to bring tourists in from low-risk countries to certain tourism zones in the country. Their special tourist categories include those who will do business, invest, have accommodation in Cambodia and retirees. The special tourists should be of high quality and good resources >>
29 Oct: The Pacific Asia Travel Association welcomes the idea of travel bubbles with China, but also urges the government to look at Vietnam and Thailand as partners too. The Cambodia Hotels Association and the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents are also both enthusiastic at the prospect of a travel bubble with China >>
3 Sep: The charges for the COVID-19 tests for foreigners on arrival to Cambodia will be reduced to $100 USD each, with the remainder of their $2,000 USD deposit being paid back 3 days after the 2nd test has a negative result >>
5 Aug: Cambodia has lowered the cash deposit to $2,000 USD for foreign travellers on arrival. Travellers must buy a local health insurance package which will cost $90 USD and be valid for 20 days >>
INBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: The Angkor International Half Marathon will go ahead in Dec >>
NEW 19 Nov: The PM has called an end of the “November 3 event”, and cinemas and museums can reopen and weddings can take place once more >>
NEW 19 Nov: Schools will reopen from 23 Nov, as will the National Olympic Stadium >>
NEW 19 Nov: A ‘grand’ opening and closing ceremony for the 2023 Southeast Asian Games is being planned, which would reflect Cambodian culture >>
NEW 19 Nov: A tourism seaport will be built on Koh Tonsay in Kep province, part of the Kep Tourism Master Plan >>
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NEW 18 Nov: The Ministry of Tourism and Alliance Plus Solutions, a local travel company, have teamed together to offer a free Amadeus flight booking training course for those studying tourism >>
NEW 18 Nov: The government is organising small-scale tourism products in communities to boost the economy through ecotourism >>
NEW 18 Nov: NagaCorp has announced plans for a non-gambling resort which will be near Angkor Wat, The Angkor Lake of Wonder. The project would cost $350 million USD and would have phase 1 completed by 2025. It would be the first resort the company is building which does not include a casino, and it would aim to attract Chinese tourists and then funnel them to NagaWorld in Phnom Penh >>
NEW 17 Nov: Workers who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 will be able to apply for a 4-month technical or vocational training course, receiving a monthly stipend of $50 USD for food and accommodation expenses >>
NEW 17 Nov: Cambodia’s international airports’ passenger traffic has dropped 70% from Jan-Oct. In Oct, there was just an average of 33 flights daily, with international flights originating from China, Seoul, Singapore and Taipei >>
16 Nov: A green belt value chain will be developed jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Yamato Green >>
13 Nov: Gyms and fitness centres will be closed again temporarily until further notice >>
12 Nov: The Cambodian PM has stated that the country will not go into lockdown, despite numerous cases caused by the Hungarian Foreign Minister’s visit >>
12 Nov: The renovation of the Angkor Wat gardens has now been completed, something welcomed by local residents >>
11 Nov: Tourism is starting to see the impact of the fear of a 2nd wave of COVID-19, with businesses reporting a decline in sales. The Cambodia Association of Travel Agents has said that if there are more positive cases recorded, then “we could be facing the closure of related businesses as well if things start getting worse” >>
11 Nov: Cambodia has banned all state-organised events in Phnom Penh and neighbouring provinces to stop the spread of COVID-19 >>
10 Nov: Online ticketing platform Camboticket, have seen a drop of up to 50% in sales with borders closed >>
9 Nov: Karaoke parlours, beer gardens, museums, cinemas and other entertainment venues have been ordered to close until further notice. Schools in Phnom Penh and Kandal will stay closed for 2 weeks from 10 Nov >>
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9 Nov: Ecotourism saw $25.21 million USD generated from Jan-Sep, an increase vs 2019. 529,160 domestic and 7,385 international tourists have visited >>
7 Nov: 51,000 tourism jobs have been lost in Cambodia, as 2,838 tourism businesses in Cambodia have either closed or temporarily closed down, accounting for around 29.6% of all tourism businesses. 62% of businesses affected are in Siem Reap, where 14,702 workers have lost their jobs >>
7 Nov: Cambodia generated $25.21 million USD revenue from ecotourism in Jan- Sep, with 529,160 national tourists and 7,385 international ones >>
7 Nov: 889 people have had to be tested after having direct or indirect contact with the Hungarian minister who tested positive for COVID-19 >>
5 Nov: The Cambodian PM and 4 cabinet ministers were in a 14-day quarantine after they met with the Hungarian foreign minister who later tested positive for COVID-19 after he arrived into Thailand >>
5 Nov: More than 100 different nationalities have visited Cambodia in 2020 >>
5 Nov: Two DJs teamed together to create a video of them live mixing whilst on a tuk tuk driving around Phnom Penh, in a move they said designed to promote the city >>
4 Nov: A Kampot hotel is planning to hold a beer festival to attract more domestic tourists on 28 Nov >>
3 Nov: During the 4-day holiday, more than 644,698 tourists travelled in the country, with the majority visiting Siem Reap province. There was a decrease in the number of visitors to the north-western region due to the floods. 160,000 Cambodians visited Siem Reap, 93,000 of which visited the Angkor area >>
2 Nov: Cambodia’s air traffic has remained active from Jan-Sep, with 317,502 Cambodians departing by air, a decrease of 79.3% >>
2 Nov: Angkor Archaeological Park received just 398,485 international visitors from Jan-Oct, a drop of 78% YoY. It earned just $18.55 million USD in revenue. October’s foreign visitor numbers were down 98.4%. The Ministry of Tourism estimates that the site receives just 70 foreign tourist visits a day currently, compared to its previous 9,000 >>
29 Oct: A new Siem Reap city, Grand Siem Reap, has been unveiled by the Ministry of Tourism. It will be near the new Siem Reap Airport and will become a Smart City, designed in Khmer architectural style >>
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28 Oct: The Tourism Minister has urged provincial officials to strengthen tourism attractions’ quality and maintain a hygienic environment during the Water Festival >>
28 Oct: Cambodia has launched a central bank-backed digital currency, “Bakong”, which will help Cambodians to make payments and transfer money using smartphones >>
28 Oct: Cambodia welcomed 1,247,680 foreign arrivals from Jan-Sep, down 74% YoY. Domestic tourists also dropped by half to 7 million >>
28 Oct: The third phase of school reopening will take place from 2 Nov and will see all students back to class with restrictions in place >>
2 Oct: Amber International hotel is opening as the first 5* hotel in Kampot >>
28 Oct: Flash floods in Cambodia have killed 43 people >>
26 Oct: Cambodia’s 3 international airports have been accredited level 2 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme >>
25 Oct: All private schools are allowed to resume their services such as sports, canteens and transportation >>
24 Oct: Siem Reap will be the ASEAN City of Culture for 2021-2022. 2 cultural events will be held to mark it: “A Memorial Night”, and “Mozart at Angkor: Cambodia Magic Flute” >>
22 Oct: Severe flooding in Cambodia has resulted in 36 deaths, affecting 312,224 people >>
22 Oct: Cambodia has predicted that visitors numbers to Angkor Archaeological Park will start to increase from next year if the vaccine becomes available, with China set to remain the largest source market >>
19 Oct: Siem Reap’s Old Market vendors have been given a 75% discount on their rent, to try to support their businesses >>
16 Oct: The IMF predict that Cambodia’s economy will contract by 2.8% in 2020, whilst the government still believes it will decrease by 1.9% >>
15 Oct: Dara Sakor International Airport in Koh Kong is now scheduled to be opened mid-2021, as most elements are nearing completion. The airport was built for tourists and charter flights who are for the majority flying to Dara Sakor Resort. Dara Sakor Resort is an area 360kmsq which has a port for cruise ships, golf courses, national park, casino and hotels >>
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14 Oct: The runway expansion of Sihanoukville Airport has been completed, and is scheduled to be commissioned in Q4 2020 >>
14 Oct: Cambodia’s international arrivals from Jan-Aug were down 72% YoY to 4.36 million. Aug saw a 95.5% decline, with just 23,028 foreigners arriving >>
13 Oct: Public universities will now be allowed to resume operations from 12 Oct >>
13 Oct: The Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap will close for business on 7 Nov, as they can no longer cover the costs >>
13 Oct: CAMDMC, an association with 17 DMCs in Cambodia, are preparing a draft tourism reopening plan to submit to the government which will try to convince them that Cambodia should be a first mover to reopen tourism in SE Asia >>
12 Oct: Dara Sakor City Development Group has launched the sales project of Stardream Lake Tourism Town >>
12 Oct: The Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort will reopen on 19 Oct, and will celebrate their 20th anniversary >>
12 Oct: The government has approved the creation of the Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC), which will help businesses in struggling sectors obtain loans and credit services >>
9 Oct: The Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh will open in Q1 2021 >>
8 Oct: Prince Manor, Cambodia’s first major theme park 20km away from Phnom Penh, has been officially launched >>
8 Oct: The PM has expressed confidence about the economy, after the World Bank predicted just a -2% drop compared to other projections of -7 to -9% >>
7 Oct: Century Entertainment International will relocate its gaming floor from Sihanoukville’s Sunshine Bay Hotel to Dara Sakor in Koh Kong province >>
6 Oct: Tourism businesses on the southern islands of Cambodia are being impacted by the number of cancelled boat rides to Sihanoukville due to the bad weather >>
5 Oct: A rail link between Phnom Penh to Bavet, on the border with Vietnam, is being considered. Vietnam would then build a rail link from Bavet to HCMC >>
5 Oct: Prince Mall in Sihanoukville has opened, the first mixed-use shopping mall in the province >>
4 Oct: A training course to 155 travel agents about the history and risks of the Angkor Archaeological Park has been carried out >>
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2 Oct: 4 community-based eco-tourism joint development packages have been set up to boost the number pf domestic visitors, at Roleak Kang Cheurng, Phat Sanday, Teuk Chop Khnarpor and Boeng Sne. The government will work to improve services and infrastructure for these 4 areas, as well as identity more >>
2 Oct: Angkor Archaeological Park has had just 396,241 foreign visitors from Jan- Sep, a drop of 76.17% >>
1 Oct: A 6th round of stimulus measures has been announced, focusing on the garment, textile, tourism and aviation sectors. Tourism workers will receive $40 USD/ month for 3 months, whilst registered hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and travel agencies will be exempt from tax for the next 3 months. The PATA Cambodia chapter, whilst grateful for the aid, feels that a special fund should be set up for tourism businesses >>
1 Oct: The aviation sector will continue to have its minimum tax exempted from Oct to Dec 2020 for airlines, and the payment of civil aviation fees will be delated for 2 more months until the end of Dec 2020 >>
30 Sep: The World Bank has forecast a drop in economic outlook of 2% in GDP, the sharpest decline in the country’s recent history, but forecasts growth of 4.3% in 2021 >>
30 Sep: The Ministry of Finance wants to ease loan requirements for SMEs, and give more financial support >>
29 Sep: The Minister of Tourism has said that the country is always ready to welcome Japanese investors and tourists. A 3-phase program is planned to promote Cambodia’s tourism:
1. Resilient and Restart stage – crisis manage between H1 2020 – H1 2021 2. Recovery stage – H2 2021 – 2022 3. Relaunch – 2023 – 2025 >>
29 Sep: The Ministry of Tourism has said that 3,000 tourism businesses have closed, affecting 45,405 workers >>
27 Sep: The PM has said that authorities need to define tourism as a strategic pillar for rural development >>
26 Sep: The Sea Festival, scheduled to take place in Preah Sihanouk at year-end, has been postponed to a date not yet confirmed >>
23 Sep: A Green Belt project related to tourism, social and economic sectors is being planned by a Japanese company >>
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31 Jul: Tax breaks for aviation companies and tourism related businesses have been extended for another 2 months to Sep, and unemployed workers in the tourism industry will receive $40 USD/month for another 2 months >>
26 May: A 4th round of economic stimulus has been rolled out, with key measures including:
• Registered hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and tour agencies in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk, Kep, Kampot, Bavet and Poipet to be exempted from all taxes in June & July • Tourism businesses also permitted to not pay into the National Social Security Fund during business suspension • Tourism businesses exempted from renewal fees for tourism licenses in 2021 • Airline companies to benefit from exemption of minimum tax payment until July • A “Credit Guarantee Fund” of $200 million USD to ease working capital issues • Social assistance programme with cash transfers to poor families • Withholding tax rates to be reduced • Additional $300 million USD to boost key sectors (no details yet) >>
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 >>’
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/cambodia/
OUTBOUND
12 Nov: Silkair is increasing flight frequency between Phnom Penh and Singapore to three times weekly >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/cambodia/
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INDONESIA Losses of $7.1 billion USD so far
TRAVEL Non-Indonesian pax not allowed to transit or enter Indonesia (IATA). Domestic RESTRICTIONS flights permitted. Travel corridors with South Korea, China and U.A.E. for essential business and diplomatic travel open. Reciprocal Green Lane with Singapore. Umrah to Saudi Arabia permitted.
LOCKDOWN Jakarta is under transitional large-scale social distancing (PSBB) until 22 Nov. STATUS Schools shut. Non-essential businesses and dine-in businesses will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity, parks and museums will open under strict protocols.
Consumer sentiment Indonesia tourism arrivals
% change YoY
5.90%
28.90%
-
64.10% -
87%
-
89.12% 87.40% 86.90% 89.22%
- - - Source: YouGOV - Source: Statistics Indonesia
Flight searches and booking volume for travel Future flight search for travel to to Indonesia Indonesia
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard
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Total number of daily departures
Source: The Airline Flight Demand Tracker, Lufthansa Innovation Hub
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
NEW 21 Nov: Bali’s Vice Governor has said that there are no plans to open Bali for international tourists on 1 Dec, saying that “it looks like foreign tourists can visit Bali again early next year.” >>
12 Nov: Jokowi raised the issue of an ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement to help business travel during the 37th ASEAN Summit, pushing for it to open in Q1 2021 >>
12 Nov: Bali will allow selected international travellers into the island for the Bali Democracy Forum in Dec, a hybrid online-offline event >>
10 Nov: The Bali Governor has said that the idea of international flights opening to Bali on 1 Dec is only being studied at the moment, and is under discussion with the coordinating minister and the Minister of Transportation >>
27 Oct: Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia and Bali government successfully trialled the arrival of an 80m super yacht, to see how it can welcome these boats during the pandemic. The government has now approved the welcoming of yachts to Indonesian ports, so long as they follow the same protocols >>
22 Oct: Indonesia is considering opening its international borders to inbound travellers, but the Foreign Minister has said that a time frame for a decision has not yet been made >>
21 Oct: Indonesia and Japan will open a travel corridor for business travel, with the details finalised within a month. The requirement of a 14-day self-isolation would be relaxed to enable short term business meetings >>
18 Oct: Batam is preparing to welcome Singaporean travellers, installing equipment for RT-PCR tests at the Batam Centre Ferry Terminal >>
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16 Oct: Indonesia will soon launch an eVisa system for travellers from selected countries, initially those which have travel corridor agreements (UAE, China, south Korea, Singapore) >>
15 Oct: The Riau Islands have sent a letter to the central government urging them to open its borders to Singaporean tourists visiting the integrated tourism zone in Bintan regency, Lagoi. Lagoi has its own port, and is located far from residential areas >>
12 Oct: Singapore and Indonesia have agreed a Reciprocal Green Lane for essential business and cross-border travel, with applications to start on 26 Oct. Requirements include a pre-departure and post-arrival COVID swab test, with points of entry and exit the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Batam Centre Ferry Terminal for sea travel, and Changi Airport and Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport for air travel >>
7 Oct: Indonesia has announced that it is in final stages of negotiation with Singapore to open a reciprocal green lane. They hope to finalise it in Oct >>
2 Oct: Indonesia is looking at revising its rules banning foreigners from entering the country, as it is in discussions with Singapore to reopen for essential business purposes. There may be an electronic visa for travel from 15 Oct, and special booths for Singaporeans who fly into Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport and arrive into Batam island >>
2 Oct: The Safe Corridor Initiative (SCI) between Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport is hoping to be able to bring in Korean tourists to the island, with a ground assessment set to take place next week, and a start date slated for later in Oct – although this will still need approval from the Indonesian government, as it involves immigration >>
17 Sep: Foreign members of mixed nationality families may now enter Indonesia after a change to their visa policy >>
3 Sep: Malaysia will extend a ban on citizens from countries with more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 from 7 Sep, including Indonesia >>
21 Aug: Indonesia has signed a travel corridor deal with China for essential business arrangements, effective immediately >>
13 Aug: Indonesia and South Korea have established a travel corridor for essential business and diplomatic travel between the 2 countries, which will open on 17 Aug >>
31 Jul: Indonesia has established a travel corridor with the UAE for essential business, official and diplomatic trips, effective immediately. Travellers would be
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exempted for a 2-week quarantine, but they would need to undergo a COVID-19 test prior to travel. The Indonesian Foreign Minister said more agreements, such as with South Korea and China, are also being negotiated >>
INBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: Garuda Indonesia is one of the safest airlines in terms of its health protocols, according to the Safe Travel Barometer, with a score of 4 out of 5 >>
NEW 21 Nov: Lion Air has launched 2 new routes, Surabaya-Ternate and Manado- Makassar >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Education and Culture Minister announced that schools will be able to open for face to face learning from Jan, so long as they follow protocols >>
NEW 20 Nov: Garuda Indonesia’s shareholders approve issuing bonds up to $600 million USD, part of the government’s rescue plan for the airline, with the bonds being purchased by the Finance Ministry. They hope that the bond issuance can “can encourage faster recovery, which can help national economic recovery.” They are also reviewing whether to fly their Boeing 737 Max planes, but it is “not a priority for Garuda to fly” >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Central Jakarta District Court has voted the Lion Air Group out of bankruptcy after 2 petitioners filed claims >>
NEW 20 Nov: Bali authorities are waiting for one more week to decide if year-end celebrations will go ahead, based on if the last long weekend caused an increase in cases >>
NEW 19 Nov: Amanjiwo hotel will be offering a luxury train journey across Central Java, The Journey Through Java, from 10 Dec. The 500km, 7-hour journey starts in Jakarta and finishes near Amanjiwo Hotel near Borobudur >>
NEW 19 Nov: The state-owned train operator has stated that passengers on certain routes will no longer require rapid tests – but they would still need to adhere to health protocols >>
NEW 19 Nov: Indonesia’s central bank cut interest rates on 19 Nov to 3.75%, its fifth reduction this year >>
NEW 19 Nov: The head of Indonesia’s food and drug agency BPOM has ruled out the possibility of emergency use authorisation for a COVID-19 vaccine in Dec, but a compassionate-use authorisation for medical workers may be possible >>
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NEW 19 Nov: The Minister of State-Owned Enterprises has affirmed the government’s plan to focus on medical tourism, saying that Bali will be the new destination for checkups, rather than Indonesia or Malaysia. He added that Bali can be a training centre for doctors and nurses, partnering with Japan to develop the medical facilities >>
NEW 19 Nov: Garuda Indonesia will launch 20 new flight routes in Nov, including between Batam and Surabaya, Jayapura and Nabire, and Labuan Bajo and Surabaya >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Finance Minister has said that a hurdle to economic recovery is the weak consumption amongst the upper-middle class, with household spending falling 4.04% >>
NEW 19 Nov: Google will contribute $11 million USD to Indonesia, $10 million USD of which will be given to MSMEs through loans >>
NEW 19 Nov: 9 Dec will now be a public holiday for the simultaneous regional elections for 9 provinces throughout Indonesia >>
NEW 18 Nov: Garuda Indonesia will leave aside its plans for unmanned aerial vehicles, with 100 planned for cargo use and 50 aircrafts which could do vertical take-off and landing >>
NEW 18 Nov: Indonesia’s home developed Red and White vaccine is expected to be ready for production by end 2021 >>
NEW 18 Nov: Bali’s governor has complained about Garuda Indonesia’s flight tickets to Bali being “overpriced”, and that business class tickets are now twice the price. Garuda Indonesia have stated that their ticket prices are dynamic and affected by demand >>
NEW 17 Nov: AirAsia has said that its Indonesia domestic sales volume up 52% WoW and sales value up 126% WoW >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI) has said that losses in the Indonesian tourism industry have now exceeded $7.1 billion USD (100 trillion IDR), and led to 550,000 lay-offs of hotel employees as of the start of Nov >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Jakarta Deputy Governor has stressed that crowds for Christmas and New Year will not be permitted this year. This comes after thousands gathered for Islamic Defenders Front leader Rizieq’s celebration event for the Birthday of Prophet Muhammad in Jakarta >>
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NEW 17 Nov: Visit Wonderful Indonesia Board and the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agency Association (ASITA) have urged the Jakarta governor to lift the transitional PSBB as it is not effective >>
NEW 17 Nov: Images on social media have been circulating of large numbers of beachgoers on beaches in Bali who are not wearing face masks or social distancing >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Tourism and Creative Ministry have said that they plan to reactivate nature and adventure tourism, as they have seen Indonesians preferring this type of travel >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Bali Hotels Association has warned against the consequences of an alcohol ban in the country, saying that the current laws were sufficient and focus should be given on its implementation and enforcement >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Bali Hotels Association (BHA) has condemned an Australian documentary which showed a Bali hotel in disrepair and questioned whether the industry would survive. BHA said that the documentary was not representative of the facts and implied that all hotels in Bali were similar to the one shown >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry have launched an integrated health, safety and security system (3K) which will be introduced in the top 10 priority destinations of Indonesia. It will be rolled out in Labuan Bajo initially. The 3K system will have a single command centre which will coordinate responses >>
NEW 16 Nov: Indonesia’s COVID-19 task force may recommend that the long holidays at the year-end be cancelled if it sees a further correlation between holidays and an increase of cases >>
NEW 16 Nov: Kualanamu International Airport in N. Sumatra has now resumed all domestic routes >>
NEW 15 Nov: Garuda Indonesia was the 6th best brand in YouGov’s Best Brands list, falling from 2018 and 2019’s 1st place >>
15 Nov: The COVID-19 task force will recommend that the government declares long holidays for the year-end, so long as the public follows health protocols. They noted that the number of cases after the Oct long weekend were not as high as after the Sep holidays >>
15 Nov: More hotels and restaurants in Labuan Bajo should apply for the cleanliness, health, safety and environmental sustainability (CHSE) certification, as only 3 hotels have CHSE certification so far >>
14 Nov: Wings Air will open 2 new routes in East Nusa Tenggara, Kupang – Ruteng and Kupang – Lewoleba >>
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14 Nov: Only 157 foreigners visited Bali in Q3, a drop from 1.8 million last year. Domestic air passengers were also down 90% YoY. The Bali Hotels Association have said that luxury hotels saw occupancy levels of 30% during the last week of Oct >>
13 Nov: Indonesia saw a record number of cases on 13 Nov at 5,444, 2 weeks after the long October holiday weekend >>
13 Nov: Indonesia plans to start its mass vaccination campaign by the year end and is seeking emergency authorisation to do so, with advanced plans already in plan to distribute it. Health workers, police and the military would be the first recipients >>
13 Nov: The Tourism and Creative Ministry led events practicing emergency scenarios such as earthquakes and tsunamis in East Nusa Tenggara >>
13 Nov: AirAsia Indonesia will launch 5 new routes in Dec: Jakarta-Padang, Jakarta- Pekanbaru, Jakarta-Palembang, Jakarta-Pontianak and Bandung-Bali >>
12 Nov: The state-run secondary mortgage firm PT Sarana Multigriya Finansial (SMF) will work with the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry to develop homestays in the National Strategic Tourist Destinations >>
12 Nov: Garuda Indonesia and Carex will partner to give out 100,000 health kits to airline passengers from 11 Nov – 15 Dec >>
12 Nov: 1,294 residents have been evacuated from the areas surrounding Mt Merapi as volcanic activity continues, with evacuation shelters on standby in case of eruption >>
12 Nov: The fast boat from Bali to Gili Trawangan has reopened for tourists. They are averaging around 50 passengers for the fast boat service >>
12 Nov: IATA forecasts that Indonesia will have the world’s 4th largest air passenger market by 2039, up from 10th place in 2019, due to the growth in the middle class >>
12 Nov: Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport has been accredited by the Airports Council International’s Airport Heath Accreditation program >>
12 Nov: Australia has offered to lend Indonesia 1.5 billion AUD to help fight COVID-19 >>
11 Nov: The Indonesian government will inject 1.2 trillion IDR into state-owned enterprise port operator Pelindo III to develop Bali’s Benoa port. It will also allocate 470 billion IDR into the Indonesian Tourism Development Corporation to finance the infrastructure development on Labuan Bajo >>
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11 Nov: The Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is supporting Nias Pesisir’s Video Tourism Contest to revive the local tourism industry, with funding of 25 million IDR for the winner. They stated that marine tourism contributes to 2.4 million tourists >>
11 Nov: East Java and Jakarta reported their lowest daily cases since Aug on 11 Nov >>
10 Nov: Passengers who faced traffic congestion on the way to Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta due to the return of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Habib Rizieq Shihab, have been permitted to reschedule their flights or obtain refunds >>
10 Nov: Garuda Indonesia saw $1.07 billion USD in losses Jan-Sep, with revenue - 67.8% YoY. It saw a 65.6% decrease in pax numbers to 8 million from Jan-Sep, and load factor was 49.8% as of Sep. The airline forecasts that its financial performance will increase in Q4 >>
10 Nov: Prambanan temple will increase its quota for visitors to 7,000/ day (60% capacity) in its fourth phase of reopening >>
9 Nov: AirAsia Indonesia have launched an unlimited flight pass for 1.5 million IDR, allowing multiple domestic flights until 31 May 2021 >>
9 Nov: Tour operators have noted a new preference for domestic private tours, rather than shared ones >>
9 Nov: Bekasi has cancelled its plans to use 3* hotels for self-isolation facilities after a decrease in the number of active cases >>
9 Nov: Bali’s unemployment rate has increased to 5.63% in Aug according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). 713 hotels and 212 restaurants in Bali’s Badung regency will qualify for the government’s new grant to help tourism businesses >>
9 Nov: The Task Force for COVID-19 has said that the infection spread in Indonesia remains relatively under control >>
8 Nov: The transitional PSBB in Jakarta has been extended until 22 Nov >>
8 Nov: Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport welcomed 231,586 pax in Oct, +30% MoM and 3,058 flights +18.3% MoM. Passenger numbers Jan-Oct dropped 73% YoY to 14,542,243 >>
7 Nov: Garuda Indonesia have reported an operating revenue of $1.13 billion USD as of Q3. Operating income rose with a 17.9% passenger growth in Sep MoM. The President Director noted that “this consistency indicates that public interest and confidence in flying has begun to show signs of recovering". Its cargo also had a 40.11% growth YoY >>
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7 Nov: The Indonesian government is looking to use seaplanes as transportation between islands for tourism purposes, allowing tourists to access more remote islands which do not yet have airports. They feel that this leads to quality tourists >>
7 Nov: The Enterprises Minister wants Indonesia to adopt the saliva test implemented by Japan’s airports, with a result coming out in less than an hour. He also sees the potential of developing Bali for health tourism >>
7 Nov: Mount Merapi has had its alert status raised to the second highest level, with hundreds evacuated living near the volcano >>
6 Nov: Lion Air Group will launch more COVID-19 testing facilities in North Sumatra >>
6 Nov: Garuda Indonesia are launching 3 new domestic flight routes in its “ongoing commitment to support the government”: Surabaya – Labuan Bajo, Surabaya- Batam-Medan, and Solo – Denpasar >>
6 Nov: Garuda Indonesia has answered to the news that the UK Serious Fraud Office is investigating Bombardier for suspected bribery in sales to the airline, saying that it will comply with the legal process >>
6 Nov: Bali and Nusa Tenggara islands have been the hardest hit economically, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), with a contraction of 6.8% in Q3. Bali has contracted 12.28% on an annual basis in Q3 >>
6 Nov: Venus One Tourism Academy in Bali has started to accept tuition fees from its tourism students in coconuts and herbs, as the academy also produces virgin coconut oil >>
6 Nov: A UK national has been arrested in Bali this week for allegedly owing $257 USD to a Kuta hotel >>
6 Nov: Indonesian air carriers have been cutting fares, with Sriwijaya Airlines, Nam Air, Citilink and Garuda Indonesia all offering cheaper fares. Statistics Indonesia data shows that the number of domestic air pax Jan-Aug fell 59.66% YoY, and foreign air pax 71.51% YoY >>
6 Nov: More protests have broken out against in infrastructure projects on Rinca Island for the “Jurassic Park” project. The Indonesia Inbound Tour Operators Association have questioned the timing of the project, as well as its purpose >>
6 Nov: Indonesia has now officially entered into recession in Q3, with -3.94% growth, the first recession for more than 20 years >>
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5 Nov: Angkasa Pura I, the national airport operator of 13 airports including Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Bali, saw 2.16 million pax in Oct, a 16.9% increase MoM, and a 10.9% MoM increase in air traffic. They attribute the uptick to greater consumer confidence, the stimulus packages for airlines and the long public holiday from 28 Oct – 1 Nov. In the final week of Oct, there were 453,500 air pax, up 17.9% from the week prior >>
5 Nov: The government has prioritised 4 regions for tourism recovery: Batam and Bintan Island in the Riau Islands, Bandung and Cirebon in West Java, Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Semarang in Central Java and Bali. The government will actively promote these destinations for domestic travellers, as they are well-known and frequently visited >>
5 Nov: The Vice Governor Bali officially reopened the Ubud Monkey Forest, which he hopes will kickstart other tourism businesses to reopen >>
5 Nov: The COVID-19 task force saw a decline in people following health protocols over the long weekend, with mask wearing declining from 88.62% to 86.35, but overall it saw a positive number of people complying to the mask wearing policies >>
5 Nov: Landowners are allegedly about to be evicted from land set to be developed into a MotoGP circuit in Mandalika. The Indonesian government also plans to develop tourist destinations in the province, covering almost 800 villages >>
5 Nov: The Traveloka Epic Sale will be held from 5-11 Nov, with discounts up to 80% >>
5 Nov: Indonesia’s unemployment rate has hit its highest level since 2011, at 7.07% in Aug. The pandemic has caused 2.67 million people to lose their jobs, and 29.12 million affected, with hours shortened, workers furloughed or job cuts >>
5 Nov: The Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) have now seen a split in leadership, with ASITA 71 and ASITA (2016 version), which will not result in “reconciliation” >>
4 Nov: The occupation rate at Jakarta hotels for isolation facilities has dropped from 60% to 21% >>
4 Nov: The government are planning to start COVID-19 vaccination in the 3rd week of December, rather than early November. They aim to vaccinate 9 million people in high-risk areas. They also plan to transform Bali into a green zone by the start of the year >>
4 Nov: The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment has said that the government is improving the quality of domestic tourism facilities, ensuring
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that Indonesian people can spend their money domestically to keep the economy flowing >>
4 Nov: The Indonesian Medical Tourism Board (IMTB) are looking to attract domestic medical tourists to Bali for treatment. They are focusing on coordinating marketing efforts between hospitals, targeting those local Indonesians who would usually travel out of the country for medical checkups >>
3 Nov: Indonesia’s average hotel occupancy in Sep dropped MoM, the first decline since Apr to 32.12%, 21.4% down YoY. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) attributed this to a lack of long weekends compared to Aug, as well as the PSBB. The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) also note that they have seen a decline in consumer spend, with just a small portion of regions seeing their hotel occupancy increase over the long weekend. Bali recorded the worst hotel occupancy rate in Sep, at 5.28% vs Jakarta’s 38.96%. Sep also had international arrivals of just 153,500 pax, down 89.5% YoY, with Jan-Sep foreign visits dropping 70.57% >>
3 Nov: 11,541 tourists departed from Bali on 1 Nov after the end of the long weekend holidays, the busiest day for the airport since the pandemic >>
3 Nov: The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry will focus on domestic tourism, saying that they are preparing to revive tourism post-pandemic >>
3 Nov: Tiket.com has recorded “skyrocketing transactions and numbers of users on the app” along with declining numbers of refund requests in Q3 2020 >>
3 Nov: Garuda Indonesia has been certified to transport COVID-19 vaccines, a certification set on criteria by the WHO. It plans to strengthen its cargo infrastructure to roll out the vaccines >>
3 Nov: Jokowi has signed the Job Creation Bill into law >>
2 Nov: Yogyakarta administration will test tourism players and residents who have been in contact with travellers over the long weekend. The city’s daily visits increased to 4,400 on Thu and Fri, an increase from the usual 1,000-2,000 >>
2 Nov: Visitors to Lembang, Bandung, were still below the target over the past long weekend, whilst Banyuwangi exceeded expectations, with 14,000 visitors on Thu >>
2 Nov: Thousands of Indonesian workers continued to protest against the new Job Creation Bill, with mass rallies in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Banda Aceh, Medan and Makassar >>
2 Nov: 408 tourists tested positive in random spot checks across 54 tourism destinations in West Java >>
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2 Nov: More than 9,500 travellers flew into Bali on 28 Oct, exceeding the airport’s estimates, with 5,000 visiting Ulun Danu Beratan Temple and 2,000 visiting Tanah Lot >>
2 Nov: Approximately 67,000 pax were estimated to have passed through Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport on 1 Nov >>
1 Nov: Hygiene facilities at some of Bali’s tourism attractions are set to be revitalised in Nov by the government >>
30 Oct: Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport had its highest number of pax since Mar on Wed, with 64,201 pax and 600 flights. On Wednesday across the state-owned 19 airports Angkasa Pura II run, 110,540 pax flew on 1,069 flights. On the roads, 509,140 vehicles left Jakarta between Tue-Thu through roll roads for the long weekend >>
30 Oct: A survey conducted by Agoda in Jun has shown that 76% of Indonesians wanted to visit local areas in the next 12 months, with Bali the top destination, followed by Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Agoda is rolling out its GoLocal Tonight and HygienePlus features >>
30 Oct: AirAsia Indonesia had a load factor of 49% in Q3, down 35pts YoY. Its numbers have slowly increased, carrying 73,905 pax, just 4% of 2019 numbers, but an improvement of 18x from Q2. It operated 12 routes in Q3, and is expecting to reach 45% of pre-COVID capacity in Q3 >>
29 Oct: Bali visitor numbers have increased in the run-up to the long weekend, with 6,000 recorded on 27 Oct, making a total of 16,332 from 25-27 Oct – prior to this, the average was 3,000-3,500. Bali airport expects a peak of visitors on 28 Oct. 30% of visitors have arrived from Jakarta >>
29 Oct: Thousand Islands regency is seeing visitor numbers increase after the PSBB transitional period in Jakarta was reimplement, with 2,806 tourists from 24-25 Oct >>
29 Oct: UNESCO has designated 3 more Indonesian biospheres: Bunaken Tangkoko Minahasa, Karimunjawa Jepara Muria, and Merapi Merbabu Menoreh >>
28 Oct: The Finance Minister has said that they have seen an improvement in the country’s economy in Q3 and the government will continue to spend the state budget to “maintain the progress of the economic recovery” >>
28 Oct: The COVID-19 task force has reminded the public that they should spend the long weekend at home to avoid spikes in cases, and that those who do must adhere to health protocols, with tourism destinations being limited to 50% capacity >>
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28 Oct: The East Nusa Tenggara administration has reassured the public that the concept for a tourism project being built on the Komodo Islands is based on ecotourism, not Jurassic Park” after being criticised for a new development which ecologists say may endanger Komodo dragons’ habitat >>
28 Oct: Indonesia has reached 400,000 cases >>
27 Oct: Art Jakarta fair is being run entirely virtually this year, the first of its kind in SE Asia, in conjunction with OPPO >>
27 Oct: Garuda Indonesia will terminate at least 700 employees by 1 Nov – those being made redundant have already been on unpaid leave since May >>
27 Oct: West Java will randomly test tourists arriving into the province over the long weekend from 28 Oct – 1 Nov to check for COVID. The Transportation Ministry also announced random checks for those leaving Jakarta – they expect 600,000 vehicles to leave the city >>
27 Oct: The Ministry of Transportation has decided that passengers no longer need to take rapid tests for cross-regional road trips, except for Bali >>
27 Oct: Indonesia has now launched its e-visa scheme, to make it easier for foreigners to apply >>
26 Oct: The Tourism Ministry will start disbursing its $224 million USD in relief grants to 101 cities and regencies in Nov. It is expected to have a multiplier effect, generating 15-25 trillion IDR in local revenue >>
26 Oct: Consumer confidence weakened to 83.4 in Sep, down from 86.9 in Aug, according to the Bank Indonesia >>
26 Oct: Workers plan to keep protesting the Job Creation Law until 10 Nov, but promise that they will not be violent >>
25 Oct: Jakarta’s transitional PSBB has been extended for another 2 weeks, from 26 Oct – 8 Nov >>
25 Oct: The Jakarta government has encouraged people to sign up for virtual tours, rather than going on holiday >>
24 Oct: The Bali Hotels Association has started to promote Bali under a new campaign, called “Bali, A New Kind of Adventure”, with six 1 minute videos, a follow up to its “60 Days of Virtual Bali” campaign >>
24 Oct: Passenger service charges has been eliminated from 13 airports on domestic flight routes from 23 Oct-31 Dec 2020: I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Yogyakarta International Airport, Yogyakarta Adisutjipto Airport, Semarang General
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Ahmad Yani Airport, Manado Sam Ratulangi Airport, and Lombok International Airport, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Kualanamu Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Silangit Airport, and Banyuwangi Airport. The Ministr of Transport hopes that this will have a boost for tourism, and that the volume of passenger flights will be increased >>
24 Oct: The controversial Job Creation Law omnibus bill is now ready to be signed by Jokowi >>
23 Oct: There has been a significant decrease in active cases in Indonesia, the COVID-19 taskforce has announced >>
23 Oct: Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air have welcome the subsidy on the passenger service charge (airport tax), and are ready to reduce the flight ticket prices >>
23 Oct: Bali has signed an MOU with a train manufacturer to develop an electric- based transportation system for the island, including trams and electric buses >>
23 Oct: Ancol Dreamland and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) have reopened to the public, but are limited to 25% capacity in the transitional PSBB. The first weekend saw 10,000 visitors over the weekend at TMII >>
23 Oct: Lion Air is trying another proposal to lessors, including partial repayments over the next 18 months, instead of by-the-hour deals it had previously proposed >>
22 Oct: RedDoorz, a budget hotel chain operator, has launched a new line of accommodation in Indonesia, called Sans, for 2-2.5* hotels >>
22 Oct: Travellers have been reminded that they must have negative COVID-19 test results for trains or planes ahead of the long weekend of 28 Oct – 1 Nov >>
22 Oct: Yogyakarta Tourism Agency has started to see a recovery in visitors, with 5,000 on weekdays and 40,000 on weekends – most visitors come from the region itself, Central Java, West Java and Jakarta. There was also an increase in hotel occupancy in Jul to 27.8% from 15.5% in Yogyakarta. However, travel agents in the city are still struggling, and are now focusing on outdoor activities for travellers >>
21 Oct: Traveloka has said that booking for Indonesian hotels have reached 75% of pre-pandemic levels, showing that the company is on the path to break even and reach profitability >>
21 Oct: The upcoming long weekend of 28 Oct-1 Nov may cause a spike in cases of up to 118%, the COVID-19 task force has warned, looking at the impact of the May holidays which increased cases 69-93% and the August holidays which increased cases 58-118%. The taskforce also warned against nonessential travel outside their hometowns and that people should not visit tourist destinations >>
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21 Oct: Jakarta has passed new regulations that would fine anyone for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, or any treatment against the virus >>
21 Oct: The funding for animal conservation centres is drying up due to lack of visitor revenue >>
21 Oct: Hotels in Indonesia are offering special room rates for the upcoming long weekend >>
21 Oct: Bali is tightening its protocols over the upcoming long weekend to avoid new clusters, reminding attractions that they can only open at 25% capacity >>
21 Oct: An epidemiologist has warned travellers from red zones that they are able to holiday in yellow zones or those with low cases, so long as they are healthy – but tourists from green zones should avoid holidays in red zones >>
20 Oct: The Home Minister has suggested that people get tested before they travel over the long October weekend, to prevent infecting family members or their hometowns >>
20 Oct: Borobudur ran a virtual tour in Japanese, in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo >>
20 Oct: OYO Indonesia wants to sign up at least half of its partners to the Sanitised Stay program by the year end – currently 28.7% of its partners are enrolled. The company shared that hotels who have signed up have seen improvements in their occupancy rates of 20-30%. Its Aug occupancy levels overall increased 70% vs Apr, but are still 60% down YoY >>
20 Oct: Tourism players in Samosir regency which includes some of Lake Toba, are opposed to a policy where visitors have to have a rapid test to enter. The policy was announced on 14 Oct, and tourism businesses believe that it will discourage visitors from coming, which could result in more layoffs >>
20 Oct: Bedsonline have signed Rally Investco as its GSA in the country which will allow them to establish a rewards programme for travel agents, as well as a help desk >>
20 Oct: Several thousand protesters took to Jakarta’s streets to protest the new jobs law >>
17 Oct: AirAsia X plan to liquidate its AirAsia X Indonesia carrier, and have completely written down its stake in Thai AirAsia X in its books >>
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16 Oct: Garuda Indonesia have shared more details about the $580 million USD government funding approved in Jul. It will be a 7-year unsecured bond, which will be converted into new shares at maturity >>
16 Oct: Batik Air have allegedly violated social distancing on a flight from Jakarta to Yogyakarta on 15 Oct. The airline confirmed that passenger capacity can exceed the 70% government rules if the flights carry groups >>
16 Oct: Aqua Expeditions have said that tourists were keen to book cruises on their yachts to secluded Indonesian islands when their expeditions started in Aug, and their Aqua Blu Indonesia local residents campaign is generating interest for its 2020 and 2021 dates >>
16 Oct: Indonesia overtook Philippines to have the highest number of cases in ASEAN >>
16 Oct: Bali’s death toll has increased over the past 2 weeks, raising concerns >>
16 Oct: The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) in Bali is concerned at the news that Australians may not be able to travel overseas until late 2021. They have revealed that occupancy rates in Bali are around 5-9% since reopening on 31 Jul >>
15 Oct: Holding the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR), with 7,000 delegates in 2022, will play a role in Bali’s tourism recovery >>
14 Oct: The IMF have predicted that Indonesia’s GDP will contract more than thought, at 1.5% vs its Jun forecast of 0.3%. However, it expects growth of 5.2% in 2021 >>
14 Oct: The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has said that it wants to disburse $224 million USD of grants for tourism businesses and local administrations, sourced from the government’s national economic recovery fund. It will be provided to regions where revenue from hotel and restaurant tax was at least 15% of its locally generated income in 2019, and for the government’s 10 priority tourism destinations and 5 super priority destinations. 70% of the grants will be given to businesses, 30% to local administrations. They will also allocate 119 billion IDR for businesses to obtain CHSE certification >>
14 Oct: Thousands of protestors marched in Jakarta on 14 Oct, protesting the Omnibus bill, organised by a conservative Muslim alliance >>
13 Oct: Indonesia is aiming to start vaccinating early Nov, relying on China’s supply of 100,000 doses by CanSino Biologics and 3 million doses by Sinovac Biotech >>
13 Oct: Flights at Soekarno-Hatta airport increased by 5% on the first day of the PSBB transition period >>
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13 Oct: The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) APAC has said that the government needs to reassure tourists of the safety protocols in place for diving tourism >>
13 Oct: Many Bali hotels are running out of financial resources due to low occupancy, according to the secretary-general of Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association >>
12 Oct: OYO will partner with GoPay and OVO e-wallets to make refunds faster – refunds could take place within a week, compared to a bank transfer which could take 60 days. The company has settled 99.4% of all refund requests in the last 6 months >>
12 Oct: The Jakarta and Bali chapters of the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) have filed a lawsuit against their national board for creating a new registration certificate for the association, as well as changed the association’s rules and bylaws >>
12 Oct: The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is urging organisers of MICE events and tourist destination operators to work together with local task forces to implement health protocols >>
12 Oct: As part of the Omnibus bill, new amendments to the aviation sector have been put into place, including removing the requirement for commercial airlines to own at least 5 aircraft, as well as other issues that would face airline startups including competition regulation. New airports are also able to be built with less red tape >>
12 Oct: The Indonesia Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI) estimate that up to 30% of restaurants will close down due to the reimposition of PSBB in Jakarta from 14 Sep – 11 Oct >>
12 Oct: The Finance Minister has stated that Indonesia’s economic recovery began in Q3, and will get stronger in Q4. The government expects a contraction of 1.7% >>
11 Oct: The Advanced Indonesia Woman Organization are targeting 1 million visitors to visit Bali during the pandemic, focusing on green zones >>
11 Oct: 120 hotels across 9 provinces will accommodate asymptomatic patients, with a capacity of 13,334 beds >>
11 Oct: Jakarta will again start its transitional period of eased lockdown measures from 12 Oct for 2 weeks. Non-essential businesses and dine-in businesses will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity, parks and museums will open under strict protocols >>
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11 Oct: East Java and South Sulawesi have been downgraded to orange zones , signalling it is now only medium risk >>
11 Oct: China will support Jakarta to be the centre for SE Asian vaccine production >>
10 Oct: Garuda Indonesia has secured a $68 million USD loan from Eximbank >>
9 Oct: Traveloka and Atourin have teamed up to offer virtual tours to 15 destinations in Indonesia through Traveloka’s Online Xperience >>
9 Oct: Indonesia is the 10th most searched country worldwide in 2020, according to a stats released by Agoda >>
9 Oct: A recent Jobstreet Indonesia survey showed that 85% of hospitality and catering services and 85% of tourism workers have been affected by the pandemic >>
9 Oct: The governor of Jakarta will inform Jokowi of protesters’ demands >>
8 Oct: Protests intensified in Indonesia over the job creation omnibus bill, with up to 8,000 protestors on 8 Oct taking part >>
8 Oct: Indonesia will build coral reef gardens in 5 locations around Bali to try to restore marine ecosystems, with a budget of $7.5 million USD >>
8 Oct: Garuda Indonesia has said that they are one of only a few airlines who did not stop flying, still providing domestic and international connections. Instead of stopping routes altogether, frequencies have been reduced >>
6 Oct: Photos of a crowded water park in Medan with 2,800 visitors who were enjoying a 50% off promotion, have led to the manager being charged for violating health laws and the park being shut down >>
6 Oct: Hundreds of people protested at a tourist spot in Larangan Badung Village on Madura Island in East Java, demanding it be shut down as it was a location for “sinful activities”. The site was set alight >>
5 Oct: The Banyan Tree Group is planning 5 new properties in Indonesia, including its new brand Banyan Tree Escape, which focuses on nature and will be in Ubud, Bali >>
5 Oct: The We Love Bali campaign has now kicked off – each group will be made up of 40 participants in 2 buses, and travellers will need to have a negative test result to be able to join. They will explore the island on 12 different 3D2N routes, and the Bali Tourism Office is confident that this will promote that Bali is “ready to implement health protocols" >>
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4 Oct: Indonesia’s cases have crossed 300,000 >>
3 Oct: Indonesia is planning to vaccinate 160 million people by the end of 2021, targeting half the population. People aged 19 to 59 would be prioritised, as well as front line workers >>
3 Oct: A standard swab test price ceiling has been set at $60.6 USD, to avoid price disparities >>
3 Oct: A guidebook for dive operators on operating their business safely with appropriate health protocols has been launched by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry >>
2 Oct: Over 3,000 Bali workers were furloughed in Aug and Sep, and the Manpower agency there expects these numbers to continue rising >>
2 Oct: Garuda Indonesia has painted a mask on 5 of its planes, as part of the government’s “Let’s wear masks” campaign. They also launched a livery design competition called “Fly your design through the sky” in Sep – the winning design will be painted on other aircraft >>
2 Oct: Indonesia has become the first signatory of the UNWTO Tourism Ethics Framework. The framework has been created to ensure that tourism is fair, inclusive, more transparent and benefits everyone >>
2 Oct: A deeper economic contraction in Q3 is expected by BPS, as the spending rate of higher-income citizens has been limited >>
2 Oct: The Batam Marriott Hotel Harbour Bay on Batam Island has just opened >>
2 Oct: Citilink’s pax was down 62.5% in Aug YoY >>
2 Oct: The Prambanan Jazz festival will be held virtually at the end of Oct, aafter being postponed from Jul >>
2 Oct: Indonesia will still participate in the World Expo in Dubai next year, and will aim to attract 2.5 million visitors to their pavilion, which will promote trade, tourism and investment >>
2 Oct: Legislation supporting Jokowi’s new stimulus package, an omnibus bill, is being criticised by labour unions who say that it will reduce job security and wages – they are calling for a 3-day national strike from 6-8 Oct. Environmentalists are also concerned as it would stop the need for environmental reviews before projects, and could lead to the destruction of primary rainforests >>
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1 Oct: Foreign arrivals into Indonesia grew by 4.45% in Aug 2020 vs Jul 2020, to 164,970. The number is still down -89.22% YoY. The number Jan-Aug is down 68.17% YoY to 3.4 million >>
1 Oct: The government will use antigen-based rapid tests, as per WHO recommendations >>
30 Sep: The founders of Lion Air are planning to start a new airline, although it is not known whether it would form a part of the group or be a new airline >>
30 Sep: The state budget for 2021 has been approved, and aims for a growth of 5% GDP >>
30 Sep: The World Bank says that Indonesia’s economy could contract by 1.6% if the pandemic is not controlled >>
29 Sep: The Indonesian Travel Agent Association (ASTINDO) is calling for the government to reopen Indonesia’s borders with low-risk countries >>
29 Sep: The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) has asked the Jakarta governor to allow dine-in services at restaurants in shopping malls and hotels once more >>
29 Sep: Yogyakarta has extended its COVID-19 emergency response period until 31 Oct >>
29 Sep: Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport would accommodate “flights to nowhere”, if airlines wanted to run these. However, no Indonesian airlines are currently planning these >>
29 Sep: A Jurassic Park-inspired development in the Komodo National Park is causing controversy, with conservationists saying that it could endanger the local habitats, and locals concerned that they were not consulted >>
28 Sep: An agreement has been signed by state-owned companies to consolidate their hotel subsidiaries into one holding company, with the ultimate aim to create the largest hotel chain in he country. The move is also hoped to increase efficiencies and are planning to create a flagship hotel brand with international quality >>
28 Sep: Lion Air is forecasting an L-shaped recovery trajectory, and believe that if no further action is taken by stakeholders, it could “further deteriorate”. Angkasa Pura II, the airport operator, also saw a contraction in Indonesian passenger growth in the first 2 weeks of Sep of 2.6% vs Aug. A survey by Angkasa Pura I has shown that 84% of passengers are taking a “wait and see” attitude to flying >>
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28 Sep: There are now 10 provinces which are being prioritised as they are seeing increasing daily case numbers: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Aceh, Bali, North Sumatra, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi and Papua >>
27 Sep: 95% of Bali’s 8,059 cases are caused from local transmission, whilst just 1.04% had a history of domestic travel, the local task force has confirmed >>
26 Sep: North Sumatra has assigned 1,100 hotel rooms for asymptomatic patents to self-isolate >>
25 Sep: Indonesia has hit a 3-day record of highest new cases in a row, with 25 Sep seeing 4,823 cases >>
25 Sep: The Tauzia group are planning to expand their properties in West Jakarta, as well as Bogor and Bali >>
25 Sep: Hotel Nikko Bali has now partnered with the Indonesia Medical Tourism Board and BIMC Siloam Hospital to welcome medical tourists >>
25 Sep: The Jakarta governor has extended the city’s large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) until 11 Oct, an additional 2 weeks >>
25 Sep: The Lion Group are trying to negotiate with lessors of its fleet for a power- by-the-hour agreement (PBH) for a duration of 24 months, which typically see a minimum spend amount plus a charge per flight hour. However, analysts see that there are no advantages to the lessors for accepting this type of contract >>
24 Sep: Lion Air is calling for a review of the 70% limit on pax capacity, urging it to be increased to 100% >>
24 Sep: Indonesian workers rallied on 24 Sep against Jokowi’s new Job Creation bill, as it looks too pro-business and will cut severance benefits >>
24 Sep: Tiket.com is supporting the Bali tourism scene by supplying 9 popular destinations with public handwashing facilities and 900 Antis sanitising kits as part of its corporate social responsibility program >>
23 Sep: Many Balinese have turned back to seaweed farming as a way to survive after losing their jobs >>
23 Sep: Indonesia had another new record daily case increase on Wed 23 Sep, of 4,465 cases. Jakarta has the majority of the cases >>
23 Sep: The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy together with Bali Tourism Agency have announced the launch of a new program, “We love Bali”, which will take place in Oct for 2 months, with 4,400 people invited to experience the island. Participants must be active on social media, and have a preference for
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outdoor activities. They will be evaluating the CHSE protocol (health & safety), as well as asked to promote Bali on social media >>
23 Sep: Lion Air has said that COVID-19 has impacted 1,900 of its pilots, 3,000 flight attendants and 25,000 employees. They also fear that a prolonged pandemic will lead to layoffs for contract workers >>
23 Sep: The Denpasar Tourism Office has certified another 12 hotels, allowing them to operate >>
23 Sep: The Indonesian government has cut its forecast for 2020, now expecting a contraction of 0.6-1.7%, with the economy likely to diminish in Q3 and Q4. Consumer confidence is also declining, with the retail sector under pressure >>
13 Aug: 3.8 trillion IDR has been allocated to support the tourism sector and creative economy through a number of initiatives, including subsidy and income tax allowance. Indonesia’s foreign tourists is expected to drop to 5 million vs. 2019’s 16 million, and 120 million domestic tourists vs 2019’s 303 million >>
30 Jul: The government is to provide cash transfers of $165 USD to 10-12 million MSMEs and working capital loans of 2 million IDR >>
23 Jul: The Tourism Minister has proposed that tourism businesses be fully exempt from corporate income tax, as well as increase the limit for working capital loans. The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association estimates that Indonesia’s tourism revenue has lost 85 trillion IDR as of mid-July. The Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry has also instructed its related agencies to spend their 4.1 trillion IDR business trip budget in 8 designated tourist areas: Banyuwangi, Bali, Borobudur Temple, Lake Toba, Riau Islands, Labuan Bajo, Likupang and Mandalika >>
4 Jun: Indonesia unveiled a stimulus package of $47.6 billion USD, with an aim to strengthen the healthcare system, support businesses from bankruptcy and boost consumer consumption >>
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 >>
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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/indonesia/
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OUTBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: The Indonesian government will make the health protocols stricter for umrah pilgrims, ensuring that umrah tour operators are following the rules, validating swab test results and looking at quarantine processes. 3 groups from Indonesia have travelled to Saudi Arabia already, 359 pilgrims in total. 13 pilgims on arrival to Saudi Arabia tested positive for COVID-19 from the 1st and 2nd batch, meaning that all pilgrims from those groups had to be quarantined for longer and missed visiting Madinah >>
8 Nov: Umrah pilgrims will undergo swab testing before returning to Indonesia, mandated by Saudi Arabia >>
7 Nov: 3 Indonesian umrah pilgrims have tested positive for COVID-19 >>
4 Nov: A study from Wego and Pear Anderson have showed that Indonesian Muslim travellers value health and safety protocols as the most important factor to select accommodation. They are also planning trips to SE Asia, NE Asia and Europe in the next 3 years >>
2 Nov: The first group of 371 Indonesian pilgrims for umrah arrived into Saudi Arabia on 1 Nov. They were the second group to arrive into the country after Pakistan >>
30 Oct: The Religious Affairs Ministry has established new age guidelines for Umrah – with only pilgrims between 18 and 50 years old allowed to take part, in line with Saudi Arabia’s new policy. Of the total 60,000 pilgrims who received their umrah registration number, only 26,000 would meet those requirements >>
30 Oct: Tourism Australia has seen an increase in interest from Indonesian agents registering for their Aussie Specialist Program >>
14 Oct: A pick up in outbound bookings from Indonesia to Turkey and the UAE has been seen, with Tripuri Wisata saying they had sent more than 10 groups to Turkey since Jul. Golden Rama have also been accepting bookings to the UAE, but the numbers are not as significant as those to Turkey >>
13 Oct: The Embassy of Pakistan and Batiq Travel Services held a tourism promotion conference attended by over 20 travel agencies, focusing on the potential of Pakistan as a tourism destination >>
9 Oct: Indonesian travel agents are seeing a growing interest from consumers to book domestic and international travel >>
7 Oct: The Korean Cultural Center Indonesia is holding the Korean Culture Month K-Festival 2020 in Oct, which includes a Hallyu Festival, Muslim-Friendly Korea
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Festival, K-Food Fair and JIPREMIUM Fair. It will also hold a Muslim friendly online travel festival from 16-18 Oct, with virtual journeys to Muslim friendly destinations and cooking shows on halal Korean food >>
7 Oct: Garuda Indonesia has started a weekly cargo route between Makassar and Singapore >>
24 Sep: Garuda Indonesia has launched a new cargo flight route between Manado and Narita in Japan >>
23 Sep: The Indonesian government is preparing guidelines for pilgrims to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia. These would determine the cost, as well as if people who have comorbidities would be allowed to visit. If Indonesia will be included in Saudi Arabia’s list of permitted countries to perform umrah has not yet been confirmed >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/indonesia/
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LAOS Could lose up to $500 million USD in tourism revenue.
TRAVEL International scheduled flights are suspended. Fast-track immigration started with RESTRICTIONS China on 1 Nov.
LOCKDOWN Businesses are allowed to reopen from 18 May, and transport and interprovince STATUS movement is allowed again. Schools reopened. Indoor and outdoor sporting activities are allowed to take place. From 2 Jun, night markets, restaurants and cinemas to be reopened. Entertainment venues such as karaoke are now permitted to reopen. Social gatherings permitted.
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
13 Nov: Laos has been added to the UK government’s travel corridor list >>
10 Nov: Laos and Vietnam’s PMs had a discussion in which they agreed that they should further facilitate passenger and cargo flows between the 2 countries, with plans to reopen border gates and resume commercial flights >>
2 Nov: The Laos government is discussing travel policies with Vietnam and Japan, as well as other ASEAN countries. It will suspend tourist visas and keep borders closed until 31 Dec >>
29 Oct: Vietnam and Laos have held bilateral talks where they discussed a need to reopen travel between the 2 of them and restart commercial flights, amongst other issues >>
28 Oct: Laos’ agreement for a fast-track immigration with China will begin on 1 Nov – Chinese nationals will need to test negative on arrival and to have been quarantined for 14 days in China prior to departure, as well as 48 hours on arrival in Laos. They will be permitted to enter via the Boten border gate, but it is a one- way agreement, with Laotians not permitted to enter China. A fast-track entry for Vietnam is expected to open a week later >>
23 Oct: Laos is set to start a fast-track immigration with China next week. Chinese nationals will have a shorter quarantine time (duration still under discussion), and they will be permitted to quarantine at home. They may also implement electronic devices to monitor the places which the travellers visit. They would also need to
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have a test prior to departure and on arrival. The same policy would later also apply to citizens from countries with no community cases >>
15 Oct: The National Taskforce will allow returning residents to complete quarantine in their homes or places of employment instead of designated centres. They must first wait 48 hours on arrival for their test results to come back negative. Tour groups must carry certification of a 14-day pre-flight quarantine, and a negative test result to be allowed entry >>
15 Oct: China and Laos discussed a fast-track immigration policy, allowing Chinese tourists certain privileges, particularly for diplomatic, technical and essential workers, during a trip from the Chinese Foreign Minister to Laos >>
12 Oct: Tour operators who wish to bring in tour groups to the country from destinations with no community outbreak of COVID-19 must seek permission from the Taskforce Committee >>
2 Oct: The government has agreed in principle to allow tour groups to visit Laos from countries where there are no community cases. It has also agreed in principle to resume charter flights with countries that have no outbreak. They are also continuing discussions with China and Vietnam for fast-track immigration policies. Quarantine will also be relaxed for those arriving from countries with no community outbreak, who will only need to be tested and wait 48 hours for the results – they will then be able to quarantine at home or in a place arranged by their employer. A basic fee for tests will also be implemented. Tourist visas will continue to be suspended >>
29 Sep: Hundreds of foreigners are still stuck in Laos >>
23 Aug: Laos and Japan have agreed to open their borders to one another for expatriate and long-term residents as early as Sep. Travellers must stay at home or at a designated place after arriving for 14 days. Laotian students with Japanese government scholarships will also be allowed entry as soon as possible. Japan also pledged $18 million USD to refurbish schools in Laos. They will also speed up talks to allow essential business travel >>
INBOUND
NEW 19 Nov: Vang Vieng has had over 1.1 million visitors over the last 5 years, of which 700,000 were foreigners >>
NEW 17 Nov: Luang Prabang’s tourism industry has been hugely affected, with many hotels, restaurants and vars still closed >>
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NEW 16 Nov: A committee has been formed by tourism businesses to create an event, “12 days in Luang Prabang”, with the goal to attract domestic tourists over Christmas and the New Year >>
13 Nov: The government has approved the Vang Vieng – Luang Prabang expressway, which will be 137km long and considerably reduce the travel time from 4-5 hours to just 90 mins >>
4 Nov: Vangvieng has launched a new Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant which will be used for students enrolled on tourism and hospitality courses. It is expected to support 90 students per year >>
2 Nov: Laos has allowed bars and karaoke venues to reopen, but will continue other COVID-19 measurements until 31 Dec >>
30 Oct: Tourism entrepreneurs have called for the government to support them, suspending interest payments if possible >>
28 Oct: Laos expects a 3.3% growth in GDP in 2020, despite COVID-19 >>
19 Oct: Luang Prabang will invest into visitor facilities at attractions, as well as a promotional domestic tourism campaign. The upgrades to attractions will in some cases include facilities for disabled travellers. It will also run a cycling tour with 200 cyclists to promote sustainable tourism. Luang Prabang has received 420,000 tourists this year, down 64% from its target >>
19 Oct: The planning of a new Special Economic Zone in Vang Vieng has now completed its feasibility study. It will include natural tourism sites to attract international visitors and expects to create 27,800 jobs >>
18 Oct: The That Luang Festival in Vientiane will be smaller this year, focusing on religious traditions rather than carnivals, market stalls and performances >>
16 Oct: The Luang Prabang Film Festival will take place virtually this year from 4- 10 Dec >>
15 Oct: Tourism businesses are cutting their prices to make travel more affordable for local Laotians. The Luang Prabang Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said that in some cases, prices have reduced by more than 3 times, as well as extra perks. An initial survey showed that region’s tourism businesses had lost $20 million USD >>
13 Oct: The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism will ensure talented young people are put up for promotion >>
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13 Oct: A 5-day media fam trip is being run to promote the Lao Thiao Lao domestic tourism campaign. It will uncover destinations throughout the country in northern Oudomxay and Luang Prabang provinces >>
12 Oct: The government has stressed that entertainment venues should remain closed, and that strict compliance with prevention measures is still necessary >>
12 Oct: Zipline and bridges are being build at Phou Pha Marn, to develop the destination into a visitor attraction. Cabins and treehouses will also be built >>
10 Oct: China has opened an additional expressway to the Lao border to strengthen regional connectivity >>
8 Oct: The Lao National Museum opened in its new location on 6 Oct >>
7 Oct: Lao Airlines is supporting the Lao Thiao Lao campaign, as it believes that for it to succeed, it needs “true cooperation”. The airline is launching special packages to attract domestic tourists, and has come up with a recovery plan for 2021-2025, seeing losses until 2024. It will adjust its trade and marketing plan, recruit foreign marketing experts, improve its staff ratio, enhance its debt structure, maintain its safety certification and upgrade its aircraft maintenance quality >>
5 Oct: Nakai-Nam Theun National Park is being looked at as a model for ecotourism in Laos >>
2 Oct: The cabinet has agreed to holding the annual festival to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent. The government also announced that the closure of entertainment and karaoke venues will continue until 31 Oct >>
1 Oct: Security has been increased for the Boat Racing Festival this weekend >>
25 Sep: The Boat Racing Festival in Vientiane will take place this year, but at a smaller scale to usual, from 1-3 Oct >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/laos/
OUTBOUND
10 Jul: The Vietnamese PM has asked a committee to look into resuming key air routes to Tokyo, Seoul, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Vientiane and Phnom Penh >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/laos/
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MALAYSIA Estimated RM45 billion in losses
TRAVEL Passengers not allowed to enter Malaysia (except Malaysian nationals, permanent RESTRICTIONS residents, work pass and MM2H permit holders). 14-day quarantine in designated centres on arrival. Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) with Singapore opened 17 Aug (IATA).
LOCKDOWN “Conditional Movement Control Order” (CMCO) until 6 Dec in Kelantan, Sabah, STATUS Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Penang states, as well as Kuching City. Schools closed nationally until 20 Jan 2021. Inter-state travel from non-green zone CMCO areas prohibited, and employees advised to work from home. Mask wearing in crowded places obligatory.
Consumer sentiment
Source: YouGOV Flight searches and booking volume for Future flight search for travel to Malaysia travel to Malaysia
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard
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Total number of daily departures
Source: The Airline Flight Demand Tracker, Lufthansa Innovation Hub
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
NEW 20 Nov: Foreign spouses of Malaysian citizens from 23 countries which are barred from entering Malaysia will now be able to enter the country with the Immigration Department’s permission >>
NEW 19 Nov: Johor has asked for an early implementation of a 3rd border opening scheme, the Daily Commuting Arrangement (DCA) between Malaysia and Singapore, with students and teachers being prioritised. They propose that it starts with just 7,000 individuals in the early stages >>
31 Oct: Although Johor Bahru is now a red zone after a spike in cases, it will still continue talks with Singapore to fully reopen borders >>
30 Oct: The Singaporean Transport Minister has said that he would “really like to have an air bubble with Malaysia" but that they will have to “wait and see” due to the increase in cases >>
29 Oct: Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) continues to call for the government to reopen borders with neighbouring countries in Q1 2021, to help sustain the industry >>
28 Oct: There have now been more than 10,000 passengers who have used the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) between Malaysia and Singapore using the Causeway and Second Link. The RGL has counted 1,749, whilst PCA is 9,717. Just one positive case was detected under the PCA >>
28 Oct: Malaysian students will be permitted to return abroad for their studies, and may be accompanied by their parents >>
22 Oct: The Malaysian government is talking to its Singaporean counterparts over a viral video showing a Malaysian who was prohibited to return to Malaysia under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) agreement >>
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18 Oct: Sarawak will bear the cost for COVID-19 tests on Sarawakians travelling past Brunei’s borders >>
15 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that they do not think travel bubbles will happen “for a while yet”, whilst the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) believe that tourism players should live with the new reality >>
9 Oct: Sarawak has praised the decision of Brunei Darassalam to extend its COVID- 19 negative test results to 14 days, as it would help frequent travellers from the state to the country >>
8 Oct: Applications to enter Malaysia, both for Malaysians and foreigners, can now be made by MyTravelPass on the Immigration Dept website >>
7 Oct: Japan will lift its travel advisories for citizens to travel to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan >>
4 Oct: Malaysia will continue to discuss reopening the border with Singapore, despite the increase in cases >>
4 Oct: Foreign students will not be allowed to enter the country until 31 Dec, even if they have already received approval, the Immigration Dept has announced. The physical registration and learning of students in Oct 2020 intake has been postponed >>
27 Sep: The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to establish a travel corridor between the 2 countries for business travellers, expats and investors >>
26 Sep: Tourism Malaysia has revealed that the government is looking at ASEAN cross-border travel for leisure at some point during Q1 2021. They believe that green travel bubbles would be established with those ASEAN countries which share land borders with Malaysia, and do not necessarily require air travel, including Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia >>
26 Sep: The Johor state government has urged for the Singapore-Malaysia border to open further for daily commuting, or 100,000 Malaysians may lose their jobs due to the extended closure. Unemployment in Johor state has already hit a record high of 18%, with 5-10% of businesses in the city area closing >>
23 Sep: Discussions between Malaysia and Singapore on reopening the border further are still ongoing, the Singapore government has confirmed >>
12 Sep: The regulations for Malaysians travelling outbound has been updated and Malaysian diplomats and their families, students who study overseas and
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Malaysians who are long-term passholders of another country do not need prior approval to leave. Those categories which do need approval include Malaysians with job offers abroad, those attending MICE, parents who will accompany their children for studies and those with family emergencies. Leisure outbound travel is still not permitted for Malaysians >>
3 Sep: Malaysia will extend a ban on citizens from countries with more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 from 7 Sep. Amongst those countries banned are the US, UK, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Malaysians returning home from those countries will be permitted, but must undergo the 14-day quarantine >>
25 Aug: Foreign spouses and children of Malaysians will be allowed to enter the country >>
4 Aug: The Malaysia My Second Home (M22H) scheme has been temporarily frozen, to re-evaluate the programme >>
1 Aug: Further requirements have been revealed for the cross-border travel arrangement between Singapore and Malaysia, including for the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) having documentation from their companies or host agencies to show that the visiting country has approved the trip and be tested before and on arrival. Travellers must stay in their declared accommodation until negative test results are released. Those on short visits of up to 14 days must follow a controlled itinerary for their stay and not use public transport. Those on the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) can do so only via the land borders and travellers entering Singapore must serve a Stay Home Notice (SHN) of at least 7 days and have a COVID-19 test >>
15 Jul: The Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will be limited to 2,000/ day initially, whilst the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) will allow 400 people per country on a weekly basis >>
14 Jul: Malaysia and Singapore have agreed 2 schemes for reopening the borders, to start on 10 Aug:
1. Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL), for essential business and official purposes. Travellers would need to undergo PCR swab tests 2. Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) for Malaysian and Singapore residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country, to enter for work. They will be able to briefly return to their home country after 3 consecutive months of working >>
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INBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: Malaysia Airlines is seeking financial help from Khazanah Nasional as its debt restructuring discussions with creditors continue. The amount sought was not disclosed, but sources say it could be up to $500 million USD >>
NEW 21 Nov: The Malaysian Tourism Council is calling for the government to provide immediate assistance to the tourism industry >>
NEW 20 Nov: Travel for domestic tourism will be permitted within and between states which are green zones for COVID-19 from 22 Nov. Pahang, Perlis, Teregganu and Melaka will return to green zones, as well as the majority of Kedah, Johor and Sarawak >>
NEW 20 Nov: The CMCO will be lifted in Johor, Kedah, Melaka and Terengganu from 21 Nov, earlier than planned, but Kelantan state will have a CMCO imposed for 2 weeks >>
NEW 20 Nov: SMEs in Sabah are calling for the Wage Subsidy Program to be expanded to minor players in the tourism industry, including traders who were linked to tourism >>
NEW 20 Nov: Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) is running a campaign, “Taste of Sarawak”, by offering Sarawak cuisine at local hawker stalls in Singapore >>
NEW 20 Nov: Sabah’s Scuba Junkie dive operator has won Dive Magazine’s “Best Scuba Diving Dive Centre of Resort in the World for 2020” >>
NEW 20 Nov: AirAsia has implemented a new system, Scan2Fly, which uses AI features to determine whether a passenger is eligible to fly before they even arrive at the airport, including verification of health certificates >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Trade Minister sees Malaysia’s economic recovery as a U-shape, rather than V-shaped. A crucial vote on the Budget 2021 will take place next week – if the opposition does not pass it, it could lead to a vote of no-confidence in the current government >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Terengganu state tourism department is using online and social media marketing to promote existing products and services >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Johor City and Nature Tour Guide Association (JCNTGA) are calling fo the state government to use the down time to upskill and reskill tour guides, including ecotourism courses >>
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NEW 19 Nov: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have said that some of their members are offering outdoor cleaning services, in a desperate attempt to generate revenue >>
NEW 19 Nov: Selangor state will give a special RM1,000 incentive to 553 tourism players, made up of tourist guides, homestay operators and community hosts, who have had their income impacted. They also planned to introduce RM2 million for a tourism voucher scheme which will see RM200 vouchers being distributed to locals who want to travel in Selangor >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Penang state government has extended the exemption of hotel room fees by 6 months until Jun 2021 >>
NEW 19 Nov: An Ipsos survey has shown that 77% of Malaysians are concerned about COVID-19, ahead of the global average of 44%, but 60% of Malaysians believe that the country is on the right track >>
NEW 18 Nov: Malaysia has crossed the 50,000 cases mark >>
NEW 18 Nov: Malaysia and China have signed an agreement, giving Malaysia priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed by China >>
NEW 18 Nov: The Tourism Ministry welcomes the idea of travel bubbles within Malaysia, saying that the SOPs are still under discussion, but that they hope it would come out quickly >>
NEW 18 Nov: 2,713 SMEs have closed down between Mar and Oct >>
NEW 17 Nov: AirAsia has said that it is confident that it will be stronger and faster than other competitors over the coming months and in 2021. Their revenue this week was up 57% vs the previous week thanks to its airasia.com Super Sale, with domestic sales in Thailand reaching 93% of pre-pandemic levels and Indonesia sales volume up 52% WoW and sales value up 126% WoW >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Tourism Ministry has said that RM200 million should be sufficient for the tourism sector in 2021, as they had been allocated RM30 million stimulus from the 2020 budget and only spent one third of the amount >>
NEW 17 Nov: Penang is looking into guidelines for short-term accommodation in residential buildings, hoping to finalise them by the year-end >>
NEW 17 Nov: Zoo Negara has said that it only has enough emergency funds to last 3 months, and it is having difficulty meeting its operational costs of RM1 million per month >>
NEW 17 Nov: Johor hotels are asking for help from the government to allow tourism activities in green zones >>
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NEW 17 Nov: Tourism stakeholders have welcomed the government’s news of possible domestic travel between green zones under CMCO being permitted, with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) saying that “we cannot afford one-size-fits-all approaches” >>
NEW 16 Nov: Sabah state has allocated RM15 million to stimulate tourism recovery >>
NEW 16 Nov: InterContinental Hotels Group is opening Hotel Indigo on the Park in Kuala Lumpur in 2023 >>
15 Nov: The Malaysia Budget Hotel Association has said that if the CMCO continues until the year-end, at least 40 budget hotels will close down and 2,000 workers laid off. They also reiterated that the financing facility was very difficult to obtain, with only 3% of its members’ submissions approved >>
15 Nov: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling for the government to intervene with credit and leasing companies to extend the loans, saying “Failure to address the issues and concerns of the tourism sector will greatly affect the intended tourism restart in the near future in 2021, and may lead some parties to conclude that the government views the industry as dead in 2021” >>
14 Nov: The Tourism Ministry announced an additional allocation of RM200 million in the Tourism Rehabilitation Plan 2021, including accommodation vouchers, tourist destination discounts, family travel package discounts and the “Meet in Malaysia” campaign >>
14 Nov: The Malaysian Association of Tour Agency (MATA) are relieved that there will be an additional allocation of RM200 million for a tourism stimulus package, and urged that it be made ASAP >>
14 Nov: Retailers are asking the government for individual tax exemptions of up to RM10,000 for shopping expenses and RM5,000 for tourism expenses >>
13 Nov: The Penang state government is asking for more measures to help the state’s tourism industry, proposing a loan moratorium extension and that tour operators and guides be exempted from paying license renewal fees until 2022 >>
13 Nov: Sarawak’s tourism is expected to recover to 1.4 million arrivals in 2021, with estimated tourism receipts of RM3.5 billion >>
13 Nov: Langkawi has maintained its UNESCO Global Geopark status for the 3rd time running >>
13 Nov: The Malaysian Association of Hotels has said that they expect a hotel occupancy rate as low as 5% due to the nationwide implementation of the CMCO, and that tourism recovery may only take place late 2021 >>
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13 Nov: The senior director of domestic and events for Tourism Malaysia has called for private-public sector collaborations focusing on domestic tourism to aid recovery >>
13 Nov: Malaysia’s GDP in Q3 contracted 2.3%, with improvements registered across major sectors. Bank Negara forecast its full-year GDP to be between -4.5 to -3.5% >>
13 Nov: The InterContinental Hotels Group remains optimistic that the tourism industry in Sabah will recover early next year, and will be opening the Holiday Inn Express Kota Kinabalu by the year end >>
12 Nov: A survey by Airbnb has shown that 78% of Malaysians are interested in the idea of a workcation, and 73% are looking forward to travelling within their own country >>
12 Nov: Tourism Malaysia went viral after it encouraged Singaporeans to take a “Singapoliday”, inspired by the UK Burger King ad >>
11 Nov: The JB – Singapore Rapid Transit Link may finally break ground in Nov, after a virtual launch on 22 Nov. It will connect Bukit Chegar in Johor with Woodlands in Singapore, with the ability to welcome 10,000 passengers in peak periods >>
11 Nov: Malaysia Airports’ local air traffic performance dropped 92.1% YoY in Oct to 700,000, with international passenger movement down 97.9% and domestic passenger movement down 86.2%. Kuala Lumpur International Airport continues to operate to 31 destinations in 23 countries, whilst its passenger movements dropped 95.8% in Oct >>
11 Nov: A coalition of tour bus operators have lodged a police report against 5 federal ministries for ‘failing’ to help them, in a desperate bid for assistance. Many tour bus drivers have had to sell their buses and declare bankruptcy, according to the North Zone Tour Bus Operators Coalition, with more than 1,200 buses sold in the northern region >>
11 Nov: AirAsia’s shares rose 20% higher on 10 Nov after the news about the potentially successful Pfizer vaccine, whilst AirAsia X gained 62% >>
11 Nov: Sabah is drawing up a roadmap for tourism recovery, which will aim to protect jobs and businesses with incentives, tariffs and discounts >>
11 Nov: A poll of 15 economists by Reuters estimated that the Malaysian economy contracted at a slower rate in Q3, at 3.2% >>
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11 Nov: Airlines may take 3 years to recover from COVID-19, the transport ministry has stated, with revised 2020 pax projections by the Malaysian Aviation Commission's (MAVCOM) to drop by 75.6% YoY to 26.6 million >>
11 Nov: Airbnb welcomes the decision to include tourism tax for short-term accommodation rentals, saying that it is a fair way to raise more revenue for communities >>
11 Nov: The Association of Tourist Attractions Penang is calling for the government to resume some international travel with Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as medical tourism, to directly help the tourism industry >>
11 Nov: The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) is urging the government to extend the loan moratorium to help MSMEs survive >>
10 Nov: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) has reiterated its call for the government to include more assistance for the tourism sector in the Budget 2021. Whilst it welcomes the assistance for aviation workers, it questions the unfairness of allocating support to just one sector of the industry >>
10 Nov: The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat suffered a landslide, killing 2 guests who were staying in one of its villas >>
10 Nov: Malaysia has not yet infrastructure in place to procure and store COVID-19 vaccines for cold-chain requirements, the Health Ministry has stated. They will wait until Phase 3 of clinical trials before committing to any of the vaccines >>
10 Nov: The Health Ministry has said that if many districts’ red zones turn to green within the next 2 weeks, then they may lift the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) earlier than scheduled >>
10 Nov: 32,469 SMEs have shut down between Mar – Sep >>
9 Nov: The Sabah Tourist Association is disappointed with the Budget 2021, saying that they “expect many tour agencies to retrench their workers in large numbers early next year after the wage subsidy programme ends.” >>
9 Nov: The Business Events Council Malaysia are disappointed that the Budget 2021 does not provide help for the MICE industry. They also urged the government to allow smaller-scale events to still take place in areas under CMCO >>
9 Nov: Sarawak’s economy is expected to contract by 3.5-5%, with the decline in tourism affecting all sectors >>
9 Nov: Malaysia’s unemployment rate dropped in Sep by 0.6% MoM to 737,500 people >>
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9 Nov: The Tourism Ministry reaffirmed its belief that the Budget 2021 “will help all involved in the growth of tourism, arts and culture sectors” >>
9 Nov: A CMCO has been implemented in Kuching district from 9-22 Nov, something which has been received with mixed reaction in the city >>
8 Nov: Melaka state is looking to relax the CMCO ban on inter-district travel, in a bid to save its tourism industry and its initiative “Melakans visit Melaka” >>
8 Nov: All schools nationwide will close from 9 Nov until the last day of the school year on 17 Dec, including schools in those states which are not included in the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). School will resume on 20 Jan with the new school year in 2021 >>
7 Nov: The Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has been extended in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor to 6 Dec. In addition, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Melaka, Johor and Terengganu will also be placed under the CMCO due to the increase of cases, leaving all but 3 states in Peninsular Malaysia which are not under CMCO >>
7 Nov: Nearly 10% of all hotels surveyed by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have laid off or retrenched workers, whilst almost 33% have imposed paycuts, and 44% have employees on unpaid leave. Occupancy levels are predicted to drop to 26.82% in Nov and 29.85% in Dec >>
7 Nov: The Opposition have warned that they may oppose the government’s Budget 2021 in Parliament, unless it includes 6 recommendations from their party >>
7 Nov: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that the government’s proposed Budget 2021 was “inadequate to empower the tourism industry”, and that it is “inevitable to see the industry contracting drastically”. They urged affected tourism workers to look for employment in other industries through the reskilling programs. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) was also concerned about the wage subsidies of just RM600/ month, but that without more cash subsidies and a formal extension to the loan moratorium, hotels will be forced to “take drastic actions to survive.” >>
7 Nov: Selangor plans to only allocate RM5.85 million on tourism in 2021, something local industry players have criticises as too small, especially in comparison to Penang, who have allocated over RM18 million >>
6 Nov: The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia has said that it does not see any impact from the government’s RM50 million plan to retrain 8,000 airline staff, and that unless more action is taken to support the aviation industry as a whole, then more people “are likely to lose their jobs in the near future” >>
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6 Nov: Malaysia has released its biggest ever national budget for 2021, “Resilient As One, Together We Triumph” at RM322.54 billion, an increase of 8.6% in 2019 >>
6 Nov: In its Budget 2021, the government has allocated:
• RM50 million for reskilling and relocation of 8,000 former aviation workers • 500 new job allocations for Orang Asli to function as tour guides in all national parks, to help ecotourism • RM50 million budget for maintenance at tourist hotspots • RM20 million for the promotion of Cultural Villages in Terengganu, Melaka, Sarawak and Negri Sembilan • RM10 million for upkeep of heritage buildings • The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council will receive a RM35 million allocation, up from RM25 million in 2019 • Grant of RM2,000 will also be allocated to hawker traders, tour drivers and taxi drivers in Sabah state • 6-month exemption from levies for the Human Resources Development Fund from 1 Jan 2020 • Extension of wage subsidy program for another 3 months for up to 500 employees per company for those earning RM4,000 and below a month >>
6 Nov: The Malaysian government will allow members of its Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to withdraw up to RM500 per month, and RM6,000 in total over 12 months >>
6 Nov: The Economic Outlook 2021 report released by the Ministry of Finance has shown that hotel booking cancellations from Jan – 30 Mar were 193,000 rooms, equivalent to RM76 million in losses. They also forecast the Malaysian aviation industry will lose RM13 billion in 2020 >>
6 Nov: The government predicts that the Malaysian economy will grow between 6.5%-7.5% next year >>
6 Nov: Malaysia’s 2020 travel account is set to record a deficit for the first time since 1989, of RM10.9 billion, due to the significant drop in tourism arrivals. In 2021, it is projected to recover to RM53.5 billion >>
5 Nov: Sarawak’s tourism arrivals have dropped 65% from Jan-Sep with just 1.17 million visitors, but they are optimistic that it will grow in H2 2021. Their “Sia- Sitok Sarawak” domestic campaign has so far generated RM700,000 in sales. They also plan to increase the number of homestay areas from 44 to 60 by 2030 >>
5 Nov: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry expect the Budget 2021 to enable it to assist tourism players. They will intensify technology and innovation to boost
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the industry, as well as prioritise tourism infrastructure, outreach and upskilling workers >>
5 Nov: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (STATOS) are partnering to revive the Singaporean inbound market into the state. They plan to develop “lucrative niche tourism” to attract more Singaporeans >>
5 Nov: AirAsia X has submitted a revised restructuring scheme to allow all creditors to vote on the terms, accommodating Malaysia Airports’ objection of being classed as an unsecured creditor >>
5 Nov: The Kelantan state government will upgrade several locations which are attracting tourists >>
4 Nov: Malindo Air has disputed the claim that it kept funds from the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), and insisted that it had handed it out to all employees. They reiterated that its current average revenue is at just 7.5% of its pre-pandemic levels, and that retrenching 1,861 staff is the last resort to remain operational >>
4 Nov: Malaysia’s first Café and Beverage Show will be held in Jun 2021 in Kuala Lumpur >>
4 Nov: Former PM Dr Mahathir has said that he has ideas on how to improve Langkawi’s tourism scheme >>
4 Nov: Melaka is creating special deals to attract Johoreans to visit, as the number of visitors to the city was declining with CMCOs imposed on Kuala Lumpur and Seremban >>
4 Nov: The Human Ministry has reassured retrenched Malindo Airways workers that they will receive retrenchment benefits from the Employment Insurance System (SIP) >>
4 Nov: Many Johor hotels have started to offer co-working spaces to attract those working from home, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Johor chapter revealed >>
3 Nov: InterContinental Hotels Group will rebrand the Swiss Inn Johor Bahru as the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru from 2021 >>
3 Nov: 58% of Malaysians thought that their quality of life would improve in the future, despite the economic damage in survey results from Aug >>
3 Nov: AirAsia was named Asia’s leading low-cost airlines for the 8th consecutive year at the World Travel Awards >>
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2 Nov: 90,470 people have reported to the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) that they have lost their jobs >>
2 Nov: Airasia.com has launched airasia Health, a platform where customers can book COVID-19 tests from their partners, aiming to make the experience seamless >>
1 Nov: The National Union of Flight Attendants (Nufam) has told Malindo Airways employees who have been retrenched that they should fight back as the “compensation and terms of dismissal are very unreasonable” >>
1 Nov: A small village, Kampung Pulau Tengah in Kelantan state, is seeing tourists visit it as an agrotourism destination, generating additional income for the villagers >>
31 Oct: The Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is using its Sarawak Tourism Online Ecosystem Fund program to help tourism players. It has also launched an app, Sarawak Travel, which will cover 5 modules: Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival, and be launched by mid-2021 with Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality >>
30 Oct: An economics professor has urged the government to reduce the passenger service charges for international flights, to attract foreign tourists when borders reopen >>
30 Oct: AirAsia X will revise its debt restructuring plan after concerns from a creditor. A source has told Reuters that the airline has less than 6 months of cash left, and so needs to move on as soon as possible to be able to start fundraising >>
30 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is calling for the new Budget 2021 to include funds for the tourism industry, extend the loan moratorium until Jun 2021, as well as protect jobs through a more effective wage subsidy scheme >>
30 Oct: AirAsia has insisted that it has met all the criteria for the RM300 million loan from the Sabah Development Bank, after the announcement that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was investigating the loan. It has said that the loan would enable the airline to speed up its plans to transform Kota Kinabalu into an international hub for passengers and logistics >>
30 Oct: The Federal Territories Minister has protected his plan for a mega project called Quran Village, set to be built in Putrajaya for RM150 million, after facing criticism on unveiling the plans. It would include a 5,000 capacity mosque, a "Quranic Science and Prophetic Biography" centre, hostel, market, arts centre and event space >>
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30 Oct: AirAsia Malaysia has seen an increase of 36% in pax carried in Q3, with a load factor of 68% and close to 1.8 million pax. The airline is now aiming to reach 60% of its pre-COVID domestic capacity in Q4 – in Sep it operated 52% >>
29 Oct: More than 100,000 Malaysians could have lost their jobs by the year-end according to the Social Security Organisation (Socso). Almost 10,000 people are losing their jobs on a monthly basis, and the accommodation sector is the second worst hit, with 13,053 jobs lost, accounting for 15% of total lost >>
29 Oct: Tourplus, a Malaysian startup who run an online marketplace which links travellers with local guides, has had a seed investment of $1 million USD >>
29 Oct: Penang has asked for clarification if the proposed Kulim International Airport has been approved by the National Physical Planning Council (NPPC) >>
29 Oct: Sabah tourism workers will receive RM300 from the Sabah government, including guides, porters, tourist guides and divemasters as part of the RM160 million fund announced >>
29 Oct: The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has forecast that it will only reach RM500 million in 2020 >>
28 Oct: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has started to investigate the RM300 million loan from Sabah Development Bank to AirAsia, given its disbursement within a few days of the new state government, but the Sabah government have said that the “most thorough investigation and consideration before the approval was given” >>
28 Oct: Sabah has approved a RM160 million fund to help those affected by the pandemic. It will be used for those in agriculture, tourism and transport, as well as other sectors of society, and will be disbursed via the respective ministries >>
28 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Hotels has said that hotels are suffering once more with the CMCO imposed, with occupancy dropping to 30% in the week of 10 Oct, with cancellations at “almost all domestic tourist destinations”. MATTA have also confirmed cancellations from their side in the past month >>
28 Oct: The King of Malaysia has called for all Malaysian MPs to support the Budget 2021 which will be tabled on 6 Nov, and “prioritise the public welfare”. Should the government not receive approval for the spending, the PM would be forced to resign, which could potentially trigger a snap election >>
28 Oct: Labuan’s CMCO has been extended until 13 Nov >>
28 Oct: The Chief Minister of Penang has said that the CMCO implemented in Kuala Lumpur has negatively affected Penang’s domestic tourism >>
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28 Oct: The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) have developed a new economic blueprint, HELANG, which look at economic diversity, local culture and sustainability, all through the lens of safety >>
28 Oct: Melaka Zoo has had a 90% visitor drop since the CMCO was enforced in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding states. The municipal council is looking at how it can aid tourism players with moratoriums on certain taxes, as well as promotion >>
27 Oct: The Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has been extended in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor for an additional 2 weeks, until 9 Nov >>
27 Oct: The Airline Workers Union Sarawak has called for the Sarawak government to look into creating a state-owned commercial airline which would allow better connectivity within Sarawak >>
27 Oct: The Retail Group Malaysia expects a 2-week CMCO to cause a loss of RM3.4 billion in sales, and will be much worse if the CMCO is extended. They also forecast the contribution of tourism shopping to total retail will drop 3-4% in 2020 >>
27 Oct: Sarawak Tourism Board will aim to make 1,000 Grab drivers into tourism ambassadors. It has launched an e-learning program for e-hailing drivers, and is part of a joint effort with Grab >>
26 Oct: The AirAsia Group’s total pax fell 85% to 1.91 million in Q3 >>
26 Oct: AirAsia X have explained the RM78 million it owes to Malaysia Airports as the result of the RM23 difference in Passenger Service Charges which were not collected by the airline as it did not believe that the increased charges could be justified for substandard facilities. They also reminded that Malaysia Airports also owe them incentives of RM7.9 million for 2018 and RM6.9 million for 2019 >>
25 Oct: The Penang government is urging digital transformation to boost medical tourism, including robotics and the Internet of Things >>
25 Oct: The King has said that there is no need for a state of emergency to be declared in Malaysia, something which was proposed by the current PM. The King held a special meeting with other Malay rulers to consider the proposal >>
25 Oct: The Malaysia Productivity Corporation will ease licensed tour operators’ regulatory burden by no longer requiring an audited financial report in licence renewals between 1 Jan – 31 Dec 2021. They will also allow tour operators to co- share office space >>
25 Oct: Malaysia Airports has clarified that its lawsuit filed against AirAsia X will not derail the airline’s debt restructuring >>
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24 Oct: Sabah’s Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) will be extended until 9 Nov, for another 14 days >>
24 Oct: Tourism Malaysia will promote Bung Bratak Heritage Centre in Sarawak overseas >>
23 Oct: AirAsia Group shares traded higher after news that the airline had secured a loan >>
23 Oct: Penang government believes that tourism recovery to the state will be a V shape once the pandemic ends. They have seen a severe impact on the tourism industry with the imposition of the CMCO on Kuala Lumpur and surrounding states, as it is a main source market >>
23 Oct: Google data has showed that Kuala Lumpur is the top searched for domestic destination, followed by Melaka, Penang, Langkawi and Kuala Terengganu >>
23 Oct: According to an internal source, Malaysia Airlines could make up to 20% of its workforce redundant >>
22 Oct: After Reuters broke the news that AirAsia had received a RM300 million loan from the Sabah Development Bank, AirAsia Malaysia’s CEO has confirmed that “a loan has been approved and disbursed”, although they are not able to disclose the details of the amount and who is involved >>
22 Oct: Malaysia Airlines is offering voluntary retirement for employees >>
22 Oct: The Malaysian government caused confusion by new restrictions on businesses to implement work from home policies in CMCO areas, with conflicting information initially dispersed. The new policy took place from 22 Oct >>
22 Oct: OYO Malaysia has proposed to the government to support the tourism industry through 3 actions: targeted monetary incentives, implement standardised hygiene labels and waive licence fees, sales and service tax and extend the wage subsidy program >>
22 Oct: Sarawak needs more tourists guides for when tourism returns, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister has said. It currently has just 169 vs Sabah’s 2000. They are aiming for 500 guides in the first Regional Specific Tourist Guide Course 2020. The ministry is also launching an e-learning platform for the industry, called PANDei, and is also looking at reopening the borders of Sarawak to other countries like Singapore and Hong Kong >>
22 Oct: The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry will set up a special committee to revive the tourism industry, made up of industry players >>
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22 Oct: The Malaysia Homestay Experiemce In Penang generated RM65k from Jan – Sep, despite COVID-19, something which demonstrates the potential of the homestay industry, especially for rural communities >>
22 Oct: Malaysia Airports is taking legal action against AirAsia X for outstanding fees of RM78.16 million from KLIA, and wants to be excluded from the airline’s proposed debt restructuring scheme >>
21 Oct: Malaysia has had 8 consecutive months of deflation, with Sep declining by 1.4% >>
21 Oct: Setting up a Johor Economic, Tourism and Cultural Office in Singapore has been approved, to promote tourism between the two >>
21 Oct: The head office of The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is temporarily closed until 27 Oct. MATTA have also agreed that staggered weekends and holidays should be looked into as well as targeted incentives to encourage domestic tourism >>
21 Oct: AirAsia X customers will need to wait for the airline to undergo a restructuring process before they can receive their refunds or change their flights >>
20 Oct: The Pahang state government is appealing for Taman Negara to remain open, as it is not part of the CMCO order >>
20 Oct: Tony Fernandes has said that AirAsia has never had to ask for a government-backed loan until COVID-19 – and there may come a point where the group needs to exit more markets >>
20 Oct: Melaka International Airport will remain closed, with the State government not ruling out the possibility that it may not begin operations until 2021 due to the increase in cases >>
19 Oct: AirAsia Group CEO has said that their preferred solution for international travel was testing passengers on arrival without a 14-day quarantine, as well as a contact tracing app. He urged borders to open, saying “We cannot live in a cave for the rest of our lives.” >>
19 Oct: Malaysia Airports will install thermal scanners and sneeze guards at 19 airports across the country to ensure traveller safety >>
19 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) and MATTA have proposed that the government introduce a 2-tier wage subsidy system for those in harder hit sectors such as tourism. MAH said that the ban on interstate travel will impact other states, and overall the confidence to travel was low. They also wanted the government to look at the mechanism for the targeted loan moratorium >>
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19 Oct: Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has won 46 new bids during Q3, with 21 conventions and exhibitions, 19 meetings and incentives and 6 trade exhibitions won >>
17 Oct: A record high of 869 cases was reported in Malaysia on 17 Oct, with 451 from Sabah state >>
17 Oct: Malaysia Airlines is continuing its negotiations with creditors and lessors, but it is taking “longer than expected” according to a memo seen by Reuters. The CEO said that they were gaining “encouraging traction” >>
17 Oct: Just one tourism destination in Perak has closed due to the increase in cases in the country, Sunway Lost World of Tambun theme park. The state has also launched another initiative for tourism recovery, a voucher which travel agents who book 3D2N packages can claim for their customers >>
17 Oct: AirAsia X has said in an interview, “We have run out of money.” They plan to liquidate its small Indonesia carrier, and have completely written down its stake in Thai AirAsia X in its books >>
16 Oct: The Malaysian Association Tour Agency (MATA) is urging the government to allow the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to be the ones to administer the Penjana Tourism Financing which was promised to help tourism SMEs. They have said that “not even one percent of the scheme’s amount has been approved by the financial institutions” due to rigid application stipulations >>
16 Oct: Sabah state will be open to foreign investment to revive the tourism industry. They also plan to launch an app to store the health data of tourists >>
16 Oct: A recent proposal which would allow condominiums to ban short-term rental and homestays in Penang has been received with mixed views by the industry. The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) believe that regulation would be better than banning Airbnb, as it does bring in new customers >>
16 Oct: The government expects Malaysia’s unemployment rate to drop to 4.5% by Dec, from Sep’s current 4.7% >>
16 Oct: Melaka Tourism Business Club has seen many last-minute cancellations for hotels due to the CMCO imposed on Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding area >>
16 Oct: Penang will issue an RFP for Penang Hill Cable Car project in Nov. The project is expected to take 3-4 years to complete >>
16 Oct: Interstate travellers to states under CMCO will need a permit from the police prior to starting their journey >>
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15 Oct: Firefly will start its jet airplanes operation from Q1 2021, using Penang International airport as its base. The airline will add up to 10 narrow-body jetliners to its fleet in stages, to serve the domestic, ASEAN and APAC markets. Malaysia Airlines Group says that this arrangement will allow Malaysia Airlines to focus on the premium market >>
15 Oct: The proposal to ban short-term rentals in Penang could be a threat to its tourism recovery, Airbnb has said >>
15 Oct: The potential monetisation of customer data by AirAsia Group is being questioned by experts who say that it could violate Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act >>
15 Oct: Khazanah Nasional may choose to shut down Malaysia Airlines permanently, instead making Firefly, the turboprop operator, its new national carrier. However, they have said that they would be the last resort if creditors did not agree to the restructuring. Malaysia Airlines said that they are “prepared to reset the company and start afresh if the plan [negotiating with creditors] fails." >>
15 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) have said that hotels have recorded a 15% drop in occupancy since 1 Oct, when Malaysia recorded a spike in cases. They anticipate a further drop now that Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya are under CMCO, and estimate that this will cost the industry RM60-100 million in revenue. They had previously expected a recovery period in mid-2021, but now say this is likely to fall at the end of 2021 >>
15 Oct: Sarawak has extended its entry restrictions on those domestic travellers arriving from Sabah or Peninsular Malaysia until 15 Nov. This includes a ban on non-Sarawakian travellers arriving from Sabah and Labuan, and a 14-day quarantine for those arriving from Peninsular Malaysia >>
15 Oct: The WHO has called on Malaysia to respond to new clusters with targeted, localised measures >>
15 Oct: Hotels and homestay accommodation are allowed to operate in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya under CMCO, but will be limited to official affairs, work and emergencies, not for leisure purposes >>
14 Oct: MATTA has warned that the CMCO has “practically destroyed” demand for domestic leisure travel, and “it’s only a matter of time before most travel operators close down.” MAH agree that the CMCO is necessary, but it is a “step backwards” for the tourism economy, and call for a targeted wage subsidy >>
14 Oct: Sabah Tourism Board will look at ways to focus on high yield tourists, as well as rural tourism to diversify the state’s products >>
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14 Oct: After a report from Nikkei Asia that AirAsia had obtained RM1 billion loan in funding from the Malaysian government, the government denied the report >>
14 Oct: 2 oil spills near Port Dickson will not impact tourism in the resort town, the government has said >>
14 Oct: RM120 billion in lending and financing to SMEs was disbursed in H1, according to Bank Negara >>
14 Oct: Semporna Bumiputra Tourism Association has said that homestay operators on islands off the mainland are impacted by the CMCO imposed on Sabah, as they cannot visit their homestays without the authority’s permission >>
14 Oct: Malaysian Budget Hotels Association (MyBHA) have affirmed that its members have no policies against allowing foreign tourists to stay at their properties, after an incident went viral where a foreign couple staying in Malaysia were refused accommodation after making a booking >>
14 Oct: Resorts World Genting will remain open during the CMCO, but it will monitor the situation >>
13 Oct: All domestic travellers returning from Sabah state must undergo a full 14- day home quarantine, even if they test negative >>
13 Oct: Malaysia’s Aug unemployment increased +4.7% in Aug YoY, but remained steady compared to Jul 2020. Statistics Malaysia predicts that there will be “challenges” which will hinder the market due to the increase in cases >>
13 Oct: Malaysia will be on China’s priority list for the COVID-19 vaccine, which it expects to receive before the YE >>
13 Oct: SMEs should talk to financial institutions to get help, said the PM >>
13 Oct: AirAsia are targeting to be running at 70-80% capacity in Q4 2020. AirAsia CEO said that the airline is “now being very aggressive in grabbing market share” >>
12 Oct: Malindo Airways is expected to cut 2,200 jobs from its 3,200 workforce. It will also reduce its fleetsize to 5 Boeing 737 jets and 6 ATR planes >>
12 Oct: Malaysia announced a new Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) for Kuala Lumpur and surrounding states, Selangor and Putrajaya, after an increase of cases in Selangor. Schools and places of worship will close, but commercial activities such as businesses and restaurants will remain open. The CMCO will run from 14-27 Oct >>
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12 Oct: MAVCOM have said that air traffic rights in Q3 fell by 66.7% YoY, with just 12 applications, 7 for domestic destinations, 5 for international (Japan, HK and ASEAN destinations) >>
12 Oct: Penang’s unemployment rate is now more than 3%, compared to 2% in 2019, something which the state government has attributed to the retrenchment of hospitality workers >>
12 Oct: Malaysia Airlines is asking its lessors accept a 50-70% reduction on aircraft rentals as part of its restructuring program. It also reassured its customers that flights and bookings would not be disrupted >>
11 Oct: China’s Foreign Affairs Minister will visit Malaysia from 12-13 Oct >>
11 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has said that implementing staggered weekends and school holidays is welcomed, but the government must introduce more targeted incentives to tour domestically >>
10 Oct: The Malaysia Airlines CEO has said that it will have “no choice but to shut it down” if lessors do not support their restructuring plan. He revealed some creditors have agreed, others are resisting and one is on the fence. They plan to restructure their balance sheet to reach break-even in 2023, and expect domestic and ASEAN demand to stabilise by Q3 2022. They also require a new cash injection from Khazanah Nasional. Lessors will need to make a decision by 11 Oct, otherwise Plan B might be activated, shifting their air operator certificate to a new airline under a different name, or using Firefly and MASwings certificates instead >>
10 Oct: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has been ranked in the top 10 airports in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) global survey, placing 9th and a score of 4.94 out of 5 >>
10 Oct: Theme parks are now seeing a decline of 90% in daily visitors since the 3rd wave of cases hit the country at the end of Sep. The Malaysian Association of Amusement Theme Parks & Family Attractions estimates that the industry has had RM1.58 billion in losses from Mar-Sep. They say that some parks may have to temporarily shut again due to poor attendance. They are also continuing to appeal to the government to lift the 25% entertainment tax to boost visitorship >>
10 Oct: Sarawak hotels are expecting a decline in occupancy again, after numbers starting to increase after interstate travel was allowed. The Malaysian Association of Hotels expects that it will drop to below 30% >>
10 Oct: Sarawak is considering extending its quarantine from 14 to 21 days >>
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9 Oct: AirAsia and AirAsia X have confirmed that they have retrenched 10% of its 24,000 staff. Tony Fernandes said that the group will operate on a smaller scale, and they will try to rescue as many of its redundant staff as possible as business picks up. It also expects to receive its first financing by the end of the month, and that he agrees with the government’s policy of not bailing out airlines >>
9 Oct: Pahang state are considering changing work arrangements, weekends and school holidays to boost domestic tourism. They have proposed that workers be split into 2 groups allowing each group 3-day weekends, and schools have staggered school holidays to boost off-peak travel >>
9 Oct: An American lender has offered to loan AirAsia $1 billion USD for the data of its customers. AirAsia has announced that its first round of financing would be announced by the end of Oct, and that it will not be taking delivery of any new planes, predicting that they will be able to fly around 180 planes by the end of 2021. They also plan to return 22 planes to lessors >>
9 Oct: Mersing in Johor state could become a tourism destination to drive economic growth post COVID-19, the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) and the Johor State government have said >>
9 Oct: All schools in Sabah state will be closed from 10-25 Oct, due to the spike in cases >>
9 Oct: AirAsia X expects that there will be no impact from its debt restructuring on its share capital. It also proposes that customers and travel agents receive travel credits for future travel or seat inventory >>
8 Oct: The director of the Malaysian Aviation Commission has said that one of Malaysia’s airlines could potentially close by YE, as both AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines are under strain >>
8 Oct: The majority of AirAsia X’s liabilities of RM63.5 billion are for aircraft orders, of which around 70% is to Airbus >>
8 Oct: AirAsia has launched its new super app, branding the airline as a lifestyle platform. It will hold the airasia.com Super Sale from 12-18 Oct, with discounts of up to 90% off >>
8 Oct: Travellers who visited Sabah before the mandatory quarantine order was imposed on 27 Sep are advised to go for a COVID-19 screening to be safe >>
8 Oct: Malaysians who travel to Sarawak from Peninsular Malaysia must undergo a 14-day quarantine on entry from 10 Oct >>
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8 Oct: The Finance Minister has said that the government will “not be injecting any [more] cash or capital into the airline through Khazanah, so Khazanah will have to undertake their own exercise to ensure the survival of Malaysia Airlines” >>
8 Oct: Malaysia Aviation Group will be offering reskilling and upskilling programmes to 2,000 employees affected by the reduced capacity. The employees would then be temporarily reassigned to support other departments >>
8 Oct: Four zones will be under Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from 9 Oct for 14 days, including Klang in Selangor state, Sandakan, Papar and Tuaran in Sabah state. Only essential services will be allowed to operate, and residents should remain at home >>
8 Oct: Malaysia Airlines will support its employees’ mental health via a digital therapeutics company, Naluri >>
7 Oct: The Malaysia Budget Hotel Association has launched a “Jom Nginap” campaign in collaboration with Touch N Go e-wallet and Gkash, encouraging hotels to participate in the e-wallet cashback schemes >>
7 Oct: Miri is planning to develop the 100 year old Makam Permaisuri site into a park and tourist site >>
7 Oct: The Malaysia Virtual Experience (MyVXP) was launched by the Tourism Productivity Nexus, and aims to have 150,000 virtual tourists by Jan 2021. It has 150 products available for virtual experiences, and has now trained 450 hosts to develop products >>
6 Oct: AirAsia X has revealed a new debt restructuring program where RM63.5 billion worth of debts would be reconstituted, including future lease rentals, aircraft purchase commitments and advanced ticket sales into an amount of RM200 million. They would also reduce issued share capital by 90%, and intend to raise RM500 million. It will also rationalise its network plan, and shift its focus from market share to yield >>
6 Oct: The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM) has said that the ban on flights into Sabah will negatively affect airlines, and are also unhappy with the Finance Minister’s comment that the government would not interfere with Khazanah’s decisions for Malaysia Airlines’ restructuring >>
6 Oct: The Malaysian PM confirmed that it is not currently considering a nationwide lockdown, as they are afraid that this would “crash the social and economic system in the country”. The PM admitted that the state election in Sabah was partly responsible for the increase in cases >>
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6 Oct: Interstate travel to and from Sabah will be banned from 12-25 Oct, with only certain residents allowed entry >>
5 Oct: The government is imposing a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) on Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan in Sabah from 7 Oct for 2 weeks, with all non-essential businesses to close >>
5 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) is maintaining an average hotel occupancy rate of 25% for this year, so long as domestic tourism can be sustained. During the Merdeka weekend in Aug/ Sep, it went up to 42%, and average has been 39% >>
5 Oct: Sarawak have confirmed RM106 million worth of MICE events has been secured for the next 4 years, contributing to 8,480 jobs >>
5 Oct: Penang Hill has submitted its application to UNESCO to be considered a Biosphere Reserve >>
5 Oct: Terengganu tourism companies have been reminded to adhere to SOPs. Tourism arrivals to the state have been increasing, with Pulau Redang receiving 25,004 tourists in Aug, a 114.8% increase YoY. Perhentian Island recorded 41,420 tourists in Aug, an increase of 319.4% >>
5 Oct: Cancellations are rising in Langkawi as the number of cases increase in the state >>
5 Oct: The Ministry of Health has warned against holding large events and conferences – and if they do go ahead, they should ensure that SOPs are followed >>
5 Oct: Tourism Malaysia has said that tour operators currently in red zone COVID areas should remain resilient, and look for interesting new packages to attract visitors >>
4 Oct: Kapit in Sarawak may receive more domestic tourists now that a road has been completed to Sibu – before this, it was only accessible by river >>
4 Oct: Malaysia Airports have revealed a new installment of their Airport Staycation program, including an experience with the Airport Fire & Rescue Services team >>
4 Oct: Non-Sabahans will need valid immigration passes from Sabah Immigration Dept before entering the state until 16 Oct >>
3 Oct: Malaysia will not reimpose widespread lockdown measures, despite a rise in cases, a government minister confirmed. Malaysia had a spike of 317 cases on 3 Oct, the highest since the pandemic began. The government is being criticised for
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the increase in cases, many of which have been linked to Sabah, which had an election last week. The Sabah outbreak has been blamed on illegal migrants >>
3 Oct: An inter-district travel ban in Sabah state has caused confusion amongst residents, who are calling for greater clarity, especially for those who regularly cross district lines for work. The inter-district travel ban is set to run from 3-16 Oct >>
2 Oct: Khazahah Nasional, the sovereign wealth fund of Malaysia, supports Malaysia Airlines’ restructuring efforts, it has said >>
2 Oct: Malaysia Airlines has said in a letter to lessors that it is unlikely to make Nov payments unless it receives more funding from Khazanah Nasional. The airline has requested discounts on aircraft rentals as part of a restructuring plan. It also said that is average monthly operating cash burn was $84 million USD, but as of 31 Aug it had just $88 million USD in liquidity, with an additional $139 million USD available from Khazanah. It is intending to complete its restructuring exercise over the next few months >>
2 Oct: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has complained that financial institutions are imposing unfavourable terms on them for extending the repayment moratorium. MATTA are gathering together the complaints to take them to Bank Negara >>
1 Oct: Angsana Teluk Bahang, the first Angsana property in Malaysia, will soft launch on 10 Oct in Penang >>
1 Oct: The Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) has said that imposing a lockdown in Sabah is the right move, as tourism will only start to recover once cases return to low digits. They said that domestic tourism in the state had started to recover in Jul and Aug, but it was now declining again. They are hoping for an extension of the loan moratorium, as well as more government assistance >>
1 Oct: MATTA have advised travellers to postpone their holiday plans to Sabah until mid-Oct. They also asked the government to make the SOP clear for travellers from Sabah, including quarantine or tests. Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air have reduced flight frequencies to the state >>
1 Oct: MATTA think that the extension of the Wage Subsidy Programme 2.0 will be a help to is members, but also appeals to banks to be more flexible >>
1 Oct: Non-Sarawakians in Sabah and Labuan will not be allowed to enter Sarawak from 4-18 Oct, whilst Sarawakians residing in those states will be allowed to enter, but must fill in an online application and be quarantined. Peninsular
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Malaysia residents will be allowed to enter Sarawak, but must quarantine for 14 days on arrival >>
1 Oct: There will be stricter screenings at public transport terminals, stations and counters from 2 Oct >>
1 Oct: Park Inn by Radisson Putrajaya has opened in Malaysia on 1 Oct, the first of the Park Inn by Radisson brand in the country >>
1 Oct: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister has said that they expect a decrease in domestic tourism expenditure in 2020 >>
1 Oct: AirAsia will connect Langkawi to Kuching with flights 3 times/ week from 13 Nov >>
1 Oct: All tour operators should comply with the SOPs, the ministry has reminded them >>
1 Oct: AirAsia Digital has launched the Redbeat Academy in partnership with Google, offering courses in technology >>
30 Sep: Q3’s economic activity is expected to improve, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). According to DOSM, tourism in 2019 accounted for 23.6% of employment and 15.9% of Malaysia’s economy >>
30 Sep: Credit card spend domestically in Malaysia doubled to RM10.205 billion from Apr’s RM5.3 billion. Last year’s Jul domestic spend was RM10.26 billion. Maybank has noted an increase in travel related expenses >>
30 Sep: The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) estimates there has been a drop of 75% in medical tourism >>
29 Sep: The World Bank has revised its 2020 GDP forecast for Malaysia, with a contraction of 4.9% vs its previous forecast of 3.1% >>
29 Sep: Perak state is targeting 5 million domestic tourists in 2020. They have had over 90,000 room bookings since the lifting of the MCO >>
29 Sep: MATTA has partnered with Google Malaysia and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to run a special webinar series aimed at SMEs to connect them with local online consumers >>
29 Sep: AirAsia Group hopes to open 100 Santan restaurant franchises in Malaysia and overseas by 2022, in additional to the 15 stores it owns. It expected the contribution of its sales to group earnings to grow from 2% to 10-15% >>
29 Sep: Malaysia won the PATA Gold award 2020 in the “Tourism for all” category through virtual tourism for senior citizens >>
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28 Sep: AirAsia is set to lay off more jobs, although a defined number has not yet been revealed. AirAsia X has also said that it would start cutting its employees in operations, technical and crew from 30 Sep >>
28 Sep: A targeted Movement Control Order (MCO) will be implemented in areas of Sabah from 29 Sep to 12 Oct >>
28 Sep: Malaysia Airlines supports the IATA proposal to have systematic COVID-19 testing to speed up travelling processes >>
28 Sep: Additional staff and screening equipment were moved to KLIA and KLIA2 airports to reduce the congestion from arrivals from Sabah after returning to the state to vote in the elections >>
28 Sep: The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) has urged the government to develop a long-term tourism recovery plan, in addition to a stimulus, to help the sector >>
28 Sep: RM11.8 billion has been disbursed under the Wage Subsidy Scheme so far, the Human Resources Minister has said >>
28 Sep: Johor state is developing a long-term tourism strategy and improve its development plan within 10 years >>
27 Sep: The coalition formed by the current PM’s government won the Sabah state elections on 26 Sep, defeating the opposition party who previously held the majority >>
26 Sep: Sarawak has identified another mountain, called the “Mountain Giant Baby”, which could become a new tourist destination >>
26 Sep: Travellers returning to Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia from Sabah must undergo a home surveillance order (HSO) and undergo screening from 27 Sep, after clusters were detected in other states which originated from Sabah >>
26 Sep: The China-Malaysia Culture and Tourism Month-Fun with Nature campaign was launched at the National Zoo in Malaysia, with over 1,000 visitors the first day >>
26 Sep: Sarawak’s tourism arrivals in Aug dropped by 87% YoY, with just 44,156. Overall, its Jan-Aug numbers dropped by 62% YoY >>
26 Sep: Melaka is being promoted as a must-visit state in Kuala Lumpur through a new tie-up with public transportation being wrapped in advertising for the destination. The state government is also running a programme called the Dream Now Travel Later, with an app launched that sells tourism packages to the state. Customers receive RM10 credit when they use the app >>
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25 Sep: AirAsia Group will launch a super app that combines all of its services into one platform, aimed at all ASEAN countries. The move is a way to diversify its revenue streams >>
25 Sep: Parlo Bhd, a travel agency in Malaysia listed on the stock exchange, is diversifying its business to provide employment agency related services to a Myanmar company specialising in migrant workers >>
24 Sep: AirAsia has said that their flights in Malaysia and Thailand are reaching 60% and 80% pre-COVID capacity respectively. Tony Fernandes forecasts that business, intercontinental and first-class travel will take longer to bounce back, but that short-haul travel is “proven already” >>
24 Sep: A China-Malaysia Digital Cultural Tourism Industry Forum was held on 24 Sep to promote mutual ideas on boosting tourism >>
24 Sep: A new economic stimulus program has been released by the PM, worth RM10 billion. It includes RM7 billion in cash aid for SMEs and the wage subsidy scheme >>
24 Sep: Malaysia’s wage subsidy scheme will be worth RM2.4 billion, and will be given to companies who have seen a 30% decline or more in revenue YoY. Companies would receive RM600 for up to 200 employees for 3 months. For those new applicants who did not have earlier assistance, they would receive it up to 6 months. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) welcomed the move, but highlighted that they are still calling for other assistance, including tax incentives, tourism marketing and tourism development >>
24 Sep: Malaysia has won the “Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year” award for the 4th time in the 2020 Medical Tourism Award ceremony >>
24 Sep: Langkawi International Airport is one of just 7 airports worldwide to be recognised by the Airports Council International for consistent excellent performance in customer services and facilities >>
24 Sep: Mt Kinabalu Park has been closed for 14 days until 8 Oct, after a hiker tested positive for COVID-19 >>
23 Sep: The Tourism, Arts & Culture Minister has encouraged travel agents to create more niche tourism packages, which can be included in a booklet called “My Malaysia Experience”. They can also post their packages on to the website www.malaysia.travel, with currently has 103 offers and 107 packages >>
23 Sep: Analysts predict that Malaysia Airports Holdings will have tough times with continuing travel restrictions, and expects depressed results still in Q4 >>
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31 Jul: The tourism sector financing scheme under the PENJANA budget has now been opened for application. The total scheme is worth RM1 billion and it is aimed at MSMEs with financing of up to RM300,000 at a 3.5% interest rate per year >>
27 Jul: A new campaign to support MICE events in Malaysia, “Meet in Malaysia”, has been revealed by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). The campaign has 2 components: Let’s Meet Locally, for domestic business, and Let’s Meet Tomorrow, for groups with 10% international participants. Incentives for Let’s Meet Locally include free full-day city tour for a group of 30, whilst for groups of 60 with a 2-night hotel stay will see dinner sponsorship included. 150 participants and above can request for sponsorship of a full-day meeting package. Incentives for Let’s Meet Tomorrow include a full-day meeting package for groups of 120 pax who hold a meeting for 2 days or more. The campaign runs until Dec 2021 >>
5 Jun: The government released a new RM35 billion stimulus package for the economy, called PENJANA. It includes tax relief for individuals, a monthly unlimited travel pass for RM30, free 1GB data every day between 8am-6pm. For tourism it also includes:
• RM1 billion to finance transformation initiatives by SMEs (details to be announced) • RM1.8 billion in tax incentives, including tourism tax breaks from 1 Jul – 30 Jun • Moratorium on tax instalment payments from 1 Apr to 31 Dec for tourism companies (including airlines) • Personal income tax relief of RM1,000 for tourism expenses >>
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 >>
29 Apr: Bank Negara has allocated RM5 billion for financing loans to SMEs to help them sustain operations and maintain jobs >>
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 >>
27 Mar: The Malaysian government announced a new economic stimulus package valued at RM250 billion, including some support for the travel industry:
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• 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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/malaysia/
OUTBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: AirAsia X have been ordered to pay 6.6 million GBP to the International Lease Finance Corporation >>
NEW 19 Nov: AirAsia X have posted a Q3 net loss of RM308.5 million, with revenue dropping 94% >>
12 Nov: The Travel Corporation has seen an emergence of solo bookings from the 50+ market for its products from Malaysia >>
4 Nov: A study from Wego and Pear Anderson have showed that Malaysian Muslim travellers value health and safety protocols as the most important factor to select accommodation. They are also planning trips to SE Asia, NE Asia and Europe in the next 3 years >>
3 Nov: Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia remains banned for now, the government has announced >>
3 Nov: Malaysia has welcomed the decision from Saudi Arabia to allow the umrah pilgrimage for 10 days >>
30 Oct: Tourism Australia has seen an increase in interest from Indonesian agents registering for their Aussie Specialist Program >>
15 Oct: Malaysians who have registered for Umrah before the MCO on 18 Mar may have the chance to go on pilgrimage in early 2021, but the government is still waiting for an official announcement from the Saudi Arabian government about the new conditions for umrah. However, the Association of Umrah and Haj Travel Agents warns that pilgrims may need to pay an additional RM3,000 for additional expenses >>
15 Oct: The Hong Kong Tourism Board is partnering with Grab and celebrity chef Ili Sulaiman in a campaign, “Brining Hong Kong to You”. The campaign will deliver food from Hong Kong merchants via the app, as well as tutorials on how to cook Hong Kong-style food >>
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14 Oct: More airlines have resumed services at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) – Sep saw a 19% increase from Aug to 1.7 million pax, and aircraft movements increased by 9.8% >>
13 Oct: Wego have partnered with the German National Tourist Board to strengthen travel demand from Malaysia >>
13 Oct: Apple Vacations sold out their 1,500 seats to 25 overseas destinations in their Buy Now Travel Later TRC Campaign >>
3 Oct: British Airways have restarted their flights to Kuala Lumpur after a stop of 6 months. It will fly 4 times/ week >>
2 Oct: The Religious Affairs Minister will visit Saudi Arabia early 2021 to understand the status of Malaysian pilgrims for Haj >>
25 Sep: Tenaga Nasional has signed an agreement with Malaysia Airlines to install solar panels on 4 of the airline’s buildings at Kuala Lumpur international Airport (KLIA). It forms part of their initiative to cut carbon emissions >>
24 Sep: Malaysia Airlines has deferred payment on RM1.5 billion worth of Islamic bonds by 6 months >>
23 Sep: Malaysia remains in discussion with Saudi Arabia over the resumption of umrah, after it was reported that Saudi Arabia may allow pilgrims from other countries to perform umrah from 1 Nov >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/malaysia/
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MYANMAR 500,000 tourism workers may lose jobs
TRAVEL All visa issuances suspended. All international flights are suspended until 30 Nov. RESTRICTIONS 14-day quarantine for those who enter the country. Domestic flights suspended.
LOCKDOWN Schools closed. Yangon state, Rakhine state and certain townships in Mon State, STATUS Mandalay Region, Kachim, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region are under “Stay- at-home”: residents limited to leaving home only for essential grocery shopping. Civil servants returning to Naypyitaw will need to be tested for COVID-19 and if from a Stay-at-home township, quarantined.
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
30 Oct: Myanmar has been added to Japan’s list of countries who are banned from entering >>
28 Oct: The government has extended the ban on visitors entering the country until 30 Nov, including the suspension of all types of visas and visa exemptions >>
27 Oct: Myanmar has extended the ban on international flights until 30 Nov >>
29 Aug: Clarification has been made for foreign staff seeking to re-enter Myanmar – they will need to prove that they are on urgent businesses and must contact the Myanmar Embassy to fly on relief flights >>
24 Aug: Myanmar and Japan have agreed to open their borders to one another for expatriate and long-term residents as early as Sep. Travellers must stay at home or at a designated place after arriving for 14 days. Japan also pledged $283 million USD to support Myanmar SMEs. They will also speed up talks to allow essential business travel >>
29 Jul: The flight suspension to Myanmar has been extended to 31 Aug. However, there are some “fast lanes” for essential businesses and officials upon request. These have started with China and Japan, and will be extended gradually to other countries. Myanmar citizens will also be allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment, studying abroad or working abroad on specially arranged flights >>
13 Jul: Myanmar are planning to allow Chinese travellers with urgent business matters to enter the country under a “Fast Track” scheme with a special quarantine program. The Chinese travellers could arrive into Myanmar via relief, special and
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chartered flights. They plan to expand this scheme to other countries too. Travellers must bring a negative COVID-19 test, and will undergo 2 swab tests. After 5 days, they will be able to do their work. Costs will be borne by the travellers >>
INBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: The Nature Advocacy group has asked the government to submit an application to UNESCO for the Irrawaddy dolphins’ habitat to be designated a World Natural Heritage Site >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Myanmar government has asked its residents to stay at home and avoid gatherings during the cooler weather period after the country started to see a spike in cases after the general election >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Hotel and Tourism Ministry aims to improve its services, it has stated >>
NEW 19 Nov: The government is considering relaxing COVID-19 restrictions >>
NEW 19 Nov: Kanpetlet Township Hotel and Tourism Department is planning to launch a trekking trip to Khaw-nu-soum Mount (Vitoria Mountain). They are planning to build 3 rest places which can accommodate 10 pax at a time. They also plan to build a 12-mile long trekking route from Aye Camp, build stairs and railings at Kawlaung waterfall and create boat and rafting trips in Kyindwe City >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Yangon MSME Association plan to release data to show their members are in difficulties. The Union of Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry have said that the hotel and tourism industry are “struggling” >>
NEW 19 Nov: Tourism will resume under the Myanmar Tourism Strategic Recovery Roadmap, according to the Myanmar minister for Hotels and Tourism >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Ministry of Health has said that the stay-home plan from 21 Nov to 5 Dec is not a lockdown, but encouraging people to stay at home instead >>
NEW 18 Nov: 5 new tourist destinations in Bagan-NyaungU will be promoted: Kyauk Yay Kan, Zee O Village, Set Set Yo Village, Popa Taung and Kyauk Myat Maw Pagoda >>
NEW 17 Nov: The ban on domestic flights has been extended until 30 Nov >>
NEW 16 Nov: Mandalay has extended its COVID-19 restrictions until end Nov, including 21-day quarantine for those returning from other countries and townships with
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high levels of transmission, and obligatory face mask wearing outside of the home >>
15 Nov: Bagan-NyaungU Destination Management Organisation held its coordination meeting in Bagan on 14 Dec >>
14 Nov: The World Bank has said that the 2nd wave has had a more severe impact on businesses than the first wave >>
13 Nov: The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi won the Myanmar General Election with 396 of 476 seats. The President will be selected early next year >>
10 Nov: Myanmar now has the 3rd highest number of deaths in ASEAN, but the infection rate seems to be slowing down >>
8 Nov: Voters went to the polls on 8 Nov in the nation’s secondly openly contested general election >>
7 Nov: The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism have invited proposals to develop an international standard hotel at Letkhonkkon village in Yangon’s Kungyangon Township >>
6 Nov: Myanmar has now overtaken Singapore for total number of cases, ranking 3rd highest in ASEAN >>
4 Nov: The Myanmar President Office attacked the army chief for criticising their handling of the upcoming election, warning that it could cause fear and unrest. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party is expected to win the vote on 8 Nov >>
4 Nov: The Myanmar army chief has said that the civilian government was making “unacceptable mistakes” in the organisation of the general election, warning about potential biases in voting >>
4 Nov: Myanmar Airways International aims to grow its international network, and are “invested in selling Myanmar as the destination” >>
1 Nov: Mandalay has extended its COVID-19 preventive measures until 15 Nov, with a 12am-4am curfew, and most commercial businesses closed >>
30 Oct: Myanmar’s cases have crossed the 50,000 cases mark >>
29 Oct: The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has held a meeting with the Myanmar Tourism Federation and affiliated organisations to discuss its Myanmar Tourism Strategic Rescue Roadmap MTSRR (2021-2025), and the Enchanting Myanmar Health & Safety Regime (HSR) >>
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29 Oct: The Yangon Region Tourism Committee has granted 2 hotel licences which are expected to generate over 8 billion kyat. They also allocated grants to 291 inbound tours >>
29 Oct: Myanmar has generated $69.2 million USD in revenue from its eVisa, with over 1.75 million tourists applying since its implementation in 2016. In 2020, it has seen 138,277 tourists apply up until Aug >>
28 Oct: The new Surbung Airport near Falam Town in Chin State was inspected by the Vice President >>
27 Oct: The government has announced that the ban on gatherings of 30 or more will be waived on the 8 Nov general election day, as will the stay-at-home order, to allow voting >>
27 Oct: Myanmar Airways International has received its new Embraer E 190. It will be used for flights to Putao, Myitkyina, Kawthoung, Myeik, Dawei, Kengtung, Heho, Sittway, NyaungU, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay >>
26 Oct: Myanmar is seeing a spike in cases outside of Yangon, but the number of new cases in the city is decreasing since a peak of 1,900 on 10 Oct >>
23 Oct: The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is calling for tenders for 12 digital marketing projects to promote the industry in 2020-2021 >>
23 Oct: Myanmar’s deaths have crossed the 1,000 mark and 40,000 cases >>
23 Oct: One of Yangon’s poorest neighbourhoods, Hlaing Thar Yar, is being driven into desperation through the stay-home orders >>
23 Oct: The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism will issue safety certificates to hotels, restaurants and tourism destinations to show they meet international standards >>
21 Oct: Mandalay region is preparing more quarantine centres >>
20 Oct: 5 towns in Shan state will be designated tourism cities as part of the tourism master plan: Kalaw, Nyaung Shwe, Kyaing Tong, Lashio and Thibaw. There will be a K100 million budget and 5% of the Inle Lake Fund will be used for the promotion of Shan hotels and tourism. Kyaing Tong will be promoted for scenic beauty, and China and Thailand inbound markets will be targeted. The first glass bridge in Myanmar will also be built soon in Nawngcho township >>
20 Oct: The Minister for Hotels and Tourism participated in a virtual meeting with the Myanmar Tourism Marketing Association, where they discussed digital marketing, the Myanmar Virtual Travel Mart, agricultural tourism development and tourism human resources >>
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19 Oct: More townships in the Kachin State are included in the stay-at-home programme, including Phakant and Mohnyin >>
18 Oct: Human Rights Watch has said that Myanmar’s elections are “fundamentally flawed” due to restrictions of the media, arrest of critics and the constitution >>
17 Oct: Although case numbers in Yangon appear to be falling from their peak, it is still around 1,000 cases per day, so the public needs to remain careful to avoid mass gatherings, the Ministry of Health and Sports has said >>
16 Oct: Kayah state has now had its first reported case of COVID-19, meaning every state has now had cases >>
15 Oct: A 2nd tranche of COVID-19 funds of K21.8 billion will be disbursed to 1200 businesses >>
12 Oct: Sampan Travel have launched an online tour led by a famous military historian, Robert Lyman, who will guide viewers through the country’s wartime history in 7 episodes >>
12 Oct: Yangon health authorities have said that the virus is not yet under control in the region, and are considering switching to a community containment strategy where those with mild symptoms who have space for quarantine at home would be sent home >>
12 Oct: Mandalay has imposed a semi-lockdown on some wards in Aung Myay Tharzan after a spike of cases in the area >>
10 Oct: Small businesses and factories in Yangon will be allowed to resume operations after they pass inspections >>
8 Oct: Yangon now has enough hospital beds for patients, despite the increase in cases, as 10,000 new beds are ready >>
7 Oct: Myanmar’s number of cases crossed the 20,000 mark, after 10,000 new cases were reported in just 9 days >>
7 Oct: More hospitals will be converted in Mandalay into COVID-19 treatment centres >>
6 Oct: Myanmar’s Stay-at-Home order has been extended for 2 more weeks from 8- 21 Oct >>
3 Oct: Stricter stay-at-home orders were enforced in Yangon, with all but essential travel banned between townships >>
2 Oct: Domestic flights have had their suspension extended until 31 Oct >>
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2 Oct: Myanmar had more than 1,000 new cases on 1 Oct. Yangon itself has had more than 10,000 cases total and is the centre of the outbreak >>
1 Oct: Myanmar has started to use antigen COVID-19 tests in Yangon to test, trace and isolate in an “all-out” battle against the pandemic >>
30 Sep: Night bazaars with dine-in in Nay Pyi Taw territory will be closed from 30 Sep >>
30 Sep: People in Nay Pyi Taw who leave home without a facemask will be fined >>
28 Sep: Local tourism businesses who are complying with safety protocols should be recognised for doing so. The government suggested that travel industry firms focus on community-based tourism packages, something which the Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneur Association agrees with >>
26 Sep: State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi marked World Tourism Day with a speech, where she has said that Myanmar is focusing on a sustainable expansion of the tourism sector to contribute to economic and socio-cultural development, and protect cultural heritage promotion businesses. She also urged the formation of working groups to develop new destinations within the country >>
25 Sep: The government will subsidies the salaries of those workers in Yangon Region who are insured and under stay-home notices, up to 40% >>
25 Sep: From 26 Sep, stay-at-home notices have been served for certain townships in Mon State, Mandalay Region, Bago Region and Ayeyawady Region >>
25 Sep: Myanmar reported more than 1,000 new cases on 24 Sep >>
24 Sep: 1,041 businesses have been approved to take K20.7 billion from the 2nd COVID-19 fund >>
23 Sep: Hotels in Mandalay have been ordered to close after hotel staff have contracted the virus. The Tourist Guide Association in Mandalay has said that “the tourism sector is on the verge of collapse.” >>
9 Sep: Tax relief has been extended until 31 Dec for prioritised sectors, something that the Union of Myanmar Travel Association welcomes >>
11 Jul: The government will create a fund of 500 billion kyats to support businesses, including those in tourism. The loans will help to pay salaries and will be at a 1% interest rate >>
10 Jun: The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism have announced their COVID-19 Tourism Relief Plan to help tourism operators, to run from Apr 2020 – Jan 2021:
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• Phase 1 (Apr-Jun): low-interest loans. Between 9 Apr – 2 Jun, over 1,000 tourism businesses received K27 billion. Tax and license fee waivers • Phase 2 (Jun-Aug): reopening Myanmar’s tourism. Government working to open regional tourism, and health and safety plans being developed • Phase 3 (Aug-Jan 2021): begin promoting Myanmar internationally, with visa exemptions, ease of travel restrictions and boosting tourism infrastructure >>
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 >>
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 >>
02 May: A 2nd fund of $142.8 million USD is set to be created by the government to help struggling businesses >>
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 >>
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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/myanmar/
OUTBOUND
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/myanmar/
Pear Anderson Sign up for weekly updates 22 Nov 2020 Update https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/ THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
PHILIPPINES Estimated 318 billion PHP lost in revenues from Jan – Sep
TRAVEL Temporary ban on foreigners but those with investment visas will be permitted RESTRICTIONS entry. Domestic flights permitted to reopen from 1 Jun. Non-essential outbound travel permitted from 21 Oct.
LOCKDOWN General Community Quarantine (GCQ) for Metro Manila from 1-30 Nov, whilst STATUS Cebu City is under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from 1-30 Nov, but from 16 Nov will be closed to non-residents for non-essential trips. Many industries and sectors are permitted to reopen, with 50% of the workforce. Travel agents allowed to open under GCQ areas at 50% capacity. Public transportation and staycations in areas under GCQ permitted. MICE events allowed at 50% under MGCQ areas. Curfew of 12am – 4am in Metro Manila.
Consumer sentiment
Source: YouGOV
Pear Anderson Sign up for weekly updates 22 Nov 2020 Update https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/ THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Future flight search for travel to the Philippines Philippines
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard
Total number of daily departures
Source: The Airline Flight Demand Tracker, Lufthansa Innovation Hub
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
NEW 21 Nov: Philippines’ health workers will now be allowed to be deployed overseas, lifting the ban that was previously in place. However, only 5,000 will be permitted to leave every year >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Bureau of Immigration will now allow foreigners to enter with visas issued pursuant to Section 9(d) of Commonwealth Act No. 613 and those with visas issued by the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, and Clark Development Corporation >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Bureau of Immigration has clarified that investors intending to enter the Philippines must obtain a Special Investor’s Resident Visa before they can enter. However, SIRV holders with tourism-related projects and establishments are still barred from entering >>
5 Nov: Mainland China has barred Filipinos from entering the country, even if they have the necessary visas, due to the large number of cases >>
5 Nov: The Bureau of Immigration has reminded airlines with passengers bound to the Philippines not to let them board unless they have the correct visas to enter >>
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27 Oct: The Philippines has ordered 3,000 Chinese nationals to leave after overstaying their tourist visas >>
23 Oct: Philippines will allow foreigners with investment visas from Philippine agencies to enter the country >>
23 Oct: Filipinos travelling overseas no longer have to present negative antigen tests >>
22 Oct: Just 95 Filipinos left the country on 21 Oct, the first day that non-essential outbound travel was permitted, but the Bureau of Immigration expects that number to increase during the Christmas season for visits to relatives overseas >>
22 Oct: The Department of Tourism (DOT) wants to amend the age limit of foreigners granted Special Resident Retiree’s Visas (SRRV), after alarm was raised at many young Chinese retirees who are 35 years old >>
19 Oct: The Bureau of Immigration has stressed that the restrictions on inbound tourists remain >>
19 Oct: Returning Filipinos from countries with low-middle prevalence of COVID will not have to undergo testing on entry, so long as they pass the symptom screening >>
16 Oct: The ban on non-essential outbound travel for Filipinos has been lifted as of 21 Oct. Pax must have negative antigen tests, confirmed plane tickets and health and travel insurance, as well as complete an immigration declaration that they know the risks involved in travelling >>
10 Oct: The Foreign Minister of China and Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary have “confirmed the prospective establishment of a Fast Lane for Urgently Needed Personnel Exchanges between the Philippines and China to facilitate, with due safeguards, the movement of essential official exchanges and travel by personnel in crucial industries such as business and trade, infrastructure, logistics, production, and technical services.” >>
8 Oct: The Bureau of Immigration has stressed that foreigners are still not permitted to enter the Philippines – only spouses and minor children of Filipinos are allowed to enter >>
3 Sep: Malaysia will extend a ban on citizens from countries with more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 from 7 Sep, including the Philippines >>
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INBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: Ilocos Sur has now reopened to tourists, with 50 visitors per day permitted >>
NEW 21 Nov: Siargao will open to local tourists from 23 Nov. An RT-PCR test will be required for those tourists arriving from Surigao City or Sayak Airport, and those from Surigao del Norte will need a certificate from a Barangay Captain that they are not a close contact of a COVID-19 patient >>
NEW 21 Nov: Philippine Airlines have launched a “new normal pre-departure experience”, which now includes a 2-step registration process with access to PAL’s testing laboratory or testing partners. From 10 Nov, PAL passengers can use a drive-thru centre in Ermita, Manila, for tests >>
NEW 20 Nov: The requirement for airlines to reserve areas on the plane as isolation areas has now been removed for domestic flights, as tests are already required before passengers board the plane. Age restrictions for those travelling in MGCQ areas for domestic tourism will also be relaxed, according to local government unit’s discretion >>
NEW 20 Nov: Tourist arrivals to Boracay have increased slightly, from October’s daily average of 80 to 1-17 Nov’s average of 95 (1,611 tourists in total). 72% of those came from Metro Manila >>
NEW 20 Nov: Baguio healthcare professionals are calling for a “timeout” for public activities, as the number of new cases is rising >>
NEW 20 Nov: The government is planning to vaccinate 50-60% of the country to reach herd immunity, prioritising specific populations first in the vaccine roll out >>
NEW 20 Nov: Only 62.8% of the Bayanihan II funds have been released, with the expiry of the law in a month’s time >>
NEW 20 Nov: Tourism workers will be amongst the groups prioritised for the COVID-19 vaccine >>
NEW 20 Nov: A 45 million PHP hotel investment in Cebu City has been approved by the Board of Investments, a 63-room SureStay Plus Hotel >>
NEW 19 Nov: Philippines will lag behind other APAC economies in 2021, with Moody’s Analytics saying that India and the Philippines will have the “deepest holes to climb out of” >>
NEW 19 Nov: President Duterte would approve emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as advanced orders for the vaccines >>
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NEW 19 Nov: Philippine Airlines will recommence its flights between Manila and Panglao, Bohol on 22 Nov, to aid with the reopening of Bohol >>
NEW 19 Nov: AirAsia Philippines is resuming its Manila – Bohol flights from 1 Dec. Leisure travellers would be limited to those who are attending meetings, weddings, conventions, exhibits or other celebrations >>
NEW 19 Nov: Baguio has restricted entry of people from neighbouring towns from 21 Nov with the increase in cases >>
NEW 19 Nov: Manila has been chosen as a “pioneer city” for the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance, helping give the city quality data needed to make well-informed decisions >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Philippine Red Cross will cut the cost of COVID-19 tests to 3,300 PHP and eventually 3,200 PHO to support tourism. Its current price is 4,000 PHP for an RT-PCR test >>
NEW 18 Nov: The Quincentennial celebration of the arrival of Christianity into the Philippines is a chance for Cebu to boost its tourism, with activities scheduled between Apr 2021 to Jan 2022 >>
NEW 18 Nov: AirAsia Philippines has seen its Q3 traffic fall by 97% YoY, flying just 67,880 pax. Its load factor also dropped to 56%, and was operating only 5% of 2019’s capacity >>
NEW 18 Nov: The Department of Tourism (DOT) is aiming to update the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2016-2022 through consultations with tourism stakeholders >>
NEW 18 Nov: Cebu City Tourism Commission is planning to offer new tourism products, including coastal tours in the city, mountain tours, historical tours and experiential creative tourism >>
NEW 18 Nov: Samar has reopened 7 eco-tourism destinations to local tourists from Eastern Visayas from 16 Nov. The destinations must keep to 50% capacity, and tourists must be 16-64 years old >>
NEW 18 Nov: Only 1,660 MSMEs have been granted loans under the Bayanihan II Act, with 26,000 applications still pending. Senators have asked the government to speed up the funding >>
NEW 18 Nov: Luzon island has been placed under a state of calamity after the recent typhoons. The proclamation makes it easier for local governments to access calamity funds >>
NEW 17 Nov: Cebu City will use granular lockdowns instead of blanket lockdowns >>
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NEW 17 Nov: Applications are low for the working capital loans with SB Corp., according to the Tourism Congress of the Philippines. Only 426 tourism MSMEs have applied, with 160 completing requirements, accounting for 100 million PHP out of 6 billion PHP allocated >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Department of Health has still not even discussed the DOT’s proposal to carry out a pilot-test of a saliva test pioneered by Japan. The Compliance Association of Boracay has said that the high price of RT-PCR tests is discouraging visitors, and that only high-end tourists resorts are travelling to the island’s high- end resorts >>
NEW 17 Nov: Philippines generated interest at the World Travel Market (WTM), from the BBC’s Travel Show, as well as many international buyers >>
NEW 16 Nov: The recent typhoons have cost the Philippines 25 billion PHP and killed more than 100 people >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) has confirmed that its annual show, the Philippine Travel Mart, will go ahead on 4-6 Dec, focused on domestic tourism. It will take place at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall in Manila >>
NEW 15 Nov: Baguio City has opened its annual Christmas Village >>
15 Nov: Storm Vamco has killed 67 people in the Philippines in the deadliest typhoon this year yet, with 12 people still missing. Cagayan Valley was heavily flooded with many areas still submerged. 26,000 houses were damaged >>
14 Nov: Cebu City will be closed to visits from 16 Nov from individuals with non- essential reasons to visit the city, including leisure and non-official business >>
14 Nov: Cebu City officials are considering whether to place the city under a stricter lockdown again, as daily case numbers are increasing once more >>
13 Nov: 80% of Filipinos surveyed expected there will be a vaccine at some point in 2021, and 80% expect an effective treatment for COVID-19 to be available in 2021 >>
12 Nov: Bantayan Island Airport will receive its first flight on 27 Nov, which will carry media and social media influencers on a mini tour to showcase the island >>
12 Nov: International arrivals from Jan-Sep fell 80.61% YoY to just 1,318,719, and a decrease of 79.68% in visitor receipts, losing around 317.88 billion PHP >>
12 Nov: The idea of a government office responsible solely for coastal tourism is being mooted, to create concrete national policy making >>
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12 Nov: The creation of a Boracay Island Development Authority (BIDA) has been approved by the government. BIDA will develop plans and projects for rehabilitation whilst ensuring environmental management. The government also approved the creation of Lamon Bay Development Authority and Kapatagan Valley Development Authority >>
12 Nov: Passengers at Mactan Cebu International Airport will now need to download the Traze app to help contact tracing >>
11 Nov: Visayas’ 3 major festivals: Sinulog in Cebu, Dinagyang in Iloilo and Ati- Atihan in Aklan will still take place in Jan 2021, but will be toned down, with more limited numbers involved >>
11 Nov: PhilJets have seen a greater demand for private jet flying, with enquiries rising by over 50% in the last 3 months >>
11 Nov: AirAsia Philippines have now resolved 70% of its total refund cases, with the remaining “in progress” due to the large volume of requests >>
10 Nov: The Department of Tourism (DOT) has said that more than 7,200 accommodation establishments have been accredited to restart operations >>
10 Nov: A resort owner on Boracay Island has been arrested for allegedly violating environmental laws, in a crackdown on violators >>
10 Nov: The Philippines economy shrunk by 11.5% in Q3, more than expected, but the government has noted that the “worst is over” >>
9 Nov: Ilocos Norte will start to use the SafePass app for contact tracing >>
9 Nov: AirAsia Philippines will require its guests to use the Traze app from 28 Nov to allow automated contact tracing >>
9 Nov: The Department of Trade and Industry hope that the ceiling price for COVID-19 tests will be released this week >>
8 Nov: The Institute of International Finance (IIF) predict that the Philippines’ tourism revenue inflows will decline by 2.1% of GDP in 2020, and that they remain pessimistic for the industry in 2021, with weak travel demand >>
7 Nov: Hotels used to house overseas Filipino workers as quarantine facilities will be paid, after they complained that the government owed them 200 million PHP in unpaid bills >>
7 Nov: Batanes’ local government is looking to reopen doors to tourists, but are currently examining which areas to open it up to, saying they will reach an assessment by Dec >>
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6 Nov: Sipalay City in Negros Occidental has reopened its tourism to non-resident tourists, who must follow strict protocols, including a RT-PCR/ rapid antigen test result >>
6 Nov: An inter-province promotional event between Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol and Negros Oriental is being planned, to promote the Central Visayas >>
6 Nov: Cebu Pacific have refunded 2.7 billion PHP in cancelled flights, and said that it continues to process a “high volume” of refund requests, so asked for customers’ patience >>
6 Nov: Tourism training will be added to the high school technical and vocational curriculum, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has said >>
5 Nov: More iconic businesses on Boracay Island have been forced to close, from resorts to restaurants. Tourism businesses continue to blame the lack of arrivals on the RT-PCR test requirements, and its necessary validity of 48 hours >>
5 Nov: Philippines was recognised as Asia’s leading beach destination and Asia’s leading dive destination at the World Travel Awards. The Philippine DOT also won the leading tourist board in Asia, and Intramuros Asia’s leading tourist attraction >>
5 Nov: 82% of Filipinos have said that their life has got worse over the past 12 months, according to a Social Weather Stations survey, with just 6% saying it got better >>
5 Nov: The DOT is happy that the government have decided to ensure that COVID- 19 testing kits are both accessible and affordable, after lobbying for the standardisation of test pricing. They say that it “shows the government’s commitment to revive and boost the economy through the slow but safe, and sure revival of domestic tourism.” >>
5 Nov: The government is planning to buy 24 million COVID-19 vaccine doses once it becomes available next year >>
5 Nov: The government plans to start its inoculation by May 2021 >>
4 Nov: The Philippine Association of Convention/ Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS) have revealed that switching to online formats, rather than physical ones, was crucial for their survival – but that earnings from digital events are far lower than physical ones >>
4 Nov: Pangasinan has reopened its 20-hectare agro-tourism farm, to encourage economic activities. It can accommodate 500-1,000 visitors under a 50% capacity reduction >>
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4 Nov: The Department of Health is seeing signs that Cebu province may achieve herd immunity, but more investigation is needed >>
3 Nov: Bantayan Island in the Philippines has now reopened >>
3 Nov: Typhoon Goni (Rolly) has caused 5.89 billion PHP of damage to public infrastructure, with 79,639 houses damaged, and at least 22 people killed >>
2 Nov: Displaced workers who could not get support from the cash assistance scheme of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), can now apply again and will be prioritised in the 2nd phase of implementation. Tourism workers under the DOT-DOLE can apply for cash-for-work schemes, or a one-time cash assistance of 5,000 PHP, under a 3 billion PHP budget. Employees from an estimated 7,951 DOT-accredited tourism companies and 8,433 LGU-licensed tourism companies could stand to benefit >>
2 Nov: AirAsia Philippines have launched its UNLI flight pass, which allows unlimited domestic travel for 4,999 PHP >>
2 Nov: Bohol is planning to reopen its tourism on 15 Nov – tourists will need a negative RT-PCR test at least 72 hours before their arrival into the province and will need to register online to receive a QR code. Do it yourself tours are not yet permitted >>
1 Nov: All local governments may be placed under the lowest quarantine restrictions By Q1 2021 >>
1 Nov: 19-31 million people may be displaced by the Super Typhoon Goni (or Rolly as it’s been named in the Philippines) >>
31 Oct: The majority of tourists visiting Baguio is from the National Capital Region (NCR), the city has confirmed >>
31 Oct: The Philippines has ordered 200,000 residents in southern Luzon to evacuate from their homes ahead of Typhoon Goni >>
31 Oct: 3 El Nido Resorts (Apulit, Lagen and Pangulasian) have won one of the 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Resorts in Asia by Conde Nast Traveler >>
31 Oct: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has said that another 3.1 billion PHP from the Bayanihan 2 was allocated to provide subsidies and training to 616,000 tourism workers >>
31 Oct: The Bojo River Cruise in Cebu has now reopened, running at 50% of capacity >>
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31 Oct: The House Committee on Tourism has approved the declaration of 2020 as the “National Golf Tourism Year” >>
31 Oct: Google Philippines is providing travel agents with free advertising credits, as well as training to help tourism MSMEs >>
30 Oct: Boracay Island has seen a slow number of tourist arrivals for the All Saints’ Day, 1,944 arrivals, 57% from the National Capital Region (NCR) >>
30 Oct: The National Museum of the Philippines is celebrating its 119th anniversary with a virtual tour >>
30 Oct: Fitch estimates that household spending will increase by 5.7% in 2021, after contracting by 8% in 2020. The highest growth is expected in recreation and culture, at 15.3% >>
30 Oct: The CARES for Travel financial program is now open for MSMEs to obtain loans >>
30 Oct: Northern Luzon tourism businesses which have reopened are still welcoming few tourists >>
30 Oct: The DOT has launched a Travel Philippines app, which gives up-tp-date destination information, allows itineraries to be created and see which destinations have reopened >>
29 Oct: Bohol will open to local tourists on 15 Nov. Visitors will need a negative RT-PCR test, register beforehand, and do-it-yourself tours are still not permitted >>
29 Oct: Filipinos are amongst the most optimistic about household income recovery in SE Asia, with 44% estimating that it will improve in the next 6 months >>
29 Oct: Megawide Construction Corp has vowed to keep all of the employees at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), clarifying reports that thousands may lose their jobs if it gets the rehabilitation project contract >>
29 Oct: Boracay island visitors are gradually increasing, with 1,944 arriving between 1-25 Oct. 57% of these came from the National Capital Region. The highest number of tourism arrivals was 208, on 25 Oct >>
29 Oct: The Department of Tourism’s Leadership Excellence Series 2020 will return on 30 Oct, as part of their collection of courses to reskill tourism professionals >>
29 Oct: The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has disbursed 11.8 billion PHP in credit assistance for 178 tourism businesses in H1 >>
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29 Oct: Cebu Pacific have extended their flexible booking options until 31 Dec, which allows unlimited rebooking of flights without fees >>
29 Oct: Business owners on Boracay continue to call for the RT-PCR test requirement to be scrapped, as they believe it is putting people off visiting >>
29 Oct: Airline passengers must now download the contact tracing app TRAZE before entering airports >>
29 Oct: Baguio City’s travel bubble will now include the whole of Luzon and will increase the number of visitors from 200 to 500 per day from 28 Oct. Visitors of all ages can now visit, book directly with hotels, and do not need to state their itinerary and booking confirmation. They will also no longer need to use a tour operator or travel agent for staycations. However, registering their arrival and a negative test result will still be needed. The VISITA registration system has had 877 applications with just 60 approved as of 28 Oct >>
28 Oct: Oxford Economics has said that the Philippines is one of the 5 countries most vulnerable to COVID-19 impact >>
28 Oct: Pangasinan province is looking at how it can reopen to tourists from outside of the Ilocos Region >>
28 Oct: The Philippines will host the 2021 WTTC Global Summit, an annual event that usually has 800 delegates from around the world >>
27 Oct: 2,637 tourism workers in Negros Occidental have been displaced, with the majority from accommodation (1,218) >>
27 Oct: The Department of Tourism (DOT) wants a price cap to be imposed on RT- PCR and antigen tests, to make travel “affordable to all” >>
27 Oct: Metro Manila, Batangas and Lanao Del Sur provinces and the cities of Iloilo, Bacolod, Tacloban, Iligan will be placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until 30 Nov, whilst the rest of the country remains under Modified General Community Quarantine >>
26 Oct: Bacolod and Iloilo cities can resume travel between the two from 31 Oct on fastcraft trips, but the passengers must be residents of Western Visayas >>
26 Oct: 14,000 employees of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport could lose their jobs in the rehabilitation process under Megawide Corp of the airport, the Department of Transport has said >>
26 Oct: Typhoon Molave hit the Philippines, forcing 100,000 people to evacuate >>
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25 Oct: The Department of Transport’s Aviation Infrastructure Program has had just 1 million PHP in new capital allocated to it in the 2021 budget, a reflection of the “harsh reality” the industry is in, the Deputy Speaker has said >>
25 Oct: A special police task force just for tourism spots in Cebu is being planned by the Cebu Police to help monitor protocols adherence >>
25 Oct: State auditors have flagged Department of Tourism (DOT) spending of 6.67 million PHP for “extravagant” expenses >>
25 Oct: Google Philippines is offering free help for MSMEs, as well as listing places to go and things to see recommended by the DOT on the Explore section of Google Maps >>
25 Oct: The DOT welcomes the opening of El Nido to allow more tourists to visit from 30 Oct in its second phase of travel bubble >>
24 Oct: Microtel and Wyndham hotel groups have delayed the opening of more hotels under their chains in the Philippines >>
23 Oct: The Philippines government has said that it will pay the $19.3 million it owes to the Red Cross, after the Red Cross stopped conducting tests >>
24 Oct: Displaced tourism workers on Samal Island will be offered free skills training >>
23 Oct: A group of hotels, the One Boracay Hotel Group, will promote Boracay’s image as a fun and safe destination, under the campaign: “Boracay Better Than Ever” >>
23 Oct: Eastern Visayas tourism stakeholders are drawing up a new 1-2 year plan for local tourism, as it is no longer realistic to follow a 15% annual growth rate target. They expected in 2020 that it would hit 2 million visitors >>
23 Oct: Philippine Airlines is now operating at 17% of its regular daily flights pre- pandemic, and are adding regular and commercial flight frequencies >>
23 Oct: 123 tourism businesses in Cebu province have reopened as of 21 Oct >>
23 Oct: Cebu Air, the operator of Cebu Pacific has approved issuance of warrants or bonds, as part of its plan to raise funds >>
22 Oct: Shopping malls have been allowed to switch back on their free wifi and lower the air conditioning temperature as part of easing measures – the public still need to wear face shields and masks, and observe social distancing >>
22 Oct: 16 airports are still closed to commercial flights in the Philippines: Calbayog, Camiguin, Catarman2, Catbalogan, Dumaguete, Guiuan, Hilongos, Laaog,
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Maasin, Puerto Princesa, Roxas City, Tuguegarao, San Vicente, Sanga- Sanga, Siargao, and Surigao >>
22 Oct: Fitch Ratings has said that the Philippines may only see a significant increase in tourists in late 2021 or early 2022 >>
22 Oct: The rehabilitation of the Banaue Rice Terraces is now complete, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has said, after 2 years of work >>
22 Oct: The drainage project on Boracay has been delayed further by TIEZA, but are still committed to completing it by Dec 2021 >>
21 Oct: Whether Bicol will open to domestic tourists from other regions will be decided in a tourism stakeholders’ meeting next week >>
21 Oct: The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) is calling for airlines to give them the full refund for cancelled flights, as travel agents are now allowed to resume. The latest estimate of refunds owed is 315.55 million PHP, but this is likely to be much higher. Top airlines who owe refunds include Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, Emirates, and All Nippon Airways. A survey they conducted amongst members showed that 74% of agents will open when there is enough business to sustain operations >>
21 Oct: The Enchanted Kingdom, a theme park in Santa Rosa City, has reopened to a small crowd of weekend visitors of 200. The theme park will allow 50% of its regular capacity >>
21 Oct: Hotels in GCQ and MGCQ areas will now be able to operate at 100% capacity, the DOT has said, subject to the hotel’s decision >>
20 Oct: The DOT in Central Visayas is encouraging its LGUs to look into outdoors and wellness and medical tourism. The LGUs should also prepare cashless payments >>
20 Oct: 21 accommodation facilities in Negros Occidental have resumed operations from 19 Oct, but are only open to local residents >>
20 Oct: The Department of Tourism (DOT) will launch a pilot study of saliva based tests for tourists, as a survey showed that 77% of respondents wanted to travel bit could not afford RT-PCR tests >>
20 Oct: Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) generated 42 million PHP from on site bookings as of 19 Oct according to the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) >>
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20 Oct: The Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon revealed that the whole 10 billion PHP allocated for tourism under the Bayanihan to Recover as One has not yet been released. He also advocated for an increase in the DOT’s 2021 budget >>
20 Oct: The Ridge and Reef Corridor is a “milestone”, according to the DOT, showing that “through close collaboration between local and national government units and the private sector, we can slowly piece the tourism industry back together.” >>
20 Oct: Ilocos Sur will now accept guests from all over Luzon, starting 15 Nov after growing interest from Metro Manila tourists >>
20 Oct: Resort owners in Zambales are asking the DOT to allow them to open up to tourist from outside the province, as well as island hopping for residents >>
20 Oct: Many tourism destinations are “still hesitant” to reopen without COVID- testing laboratories in their area, the DOT has said >>
19 Oct: TIEZA have announced that travel tax collections as of 30 Aug were down 83% YoY >>
19 Oct: Bantayan Island has now opened to visitors from Cebu province >>
19 Oct: Data from 1-11 Oct has shown that there were 536 travel requests from Ilocos to Baguio, but only 4 were approved >>
19 Oct: Coron in Palawan will reopen to local visitors by 26 Oct, and by 16 Nov, visitors from the Calamian Islands Group would be allowed to visit. The tentative date of 1 Dec has been set to allow visitors from the rest of the Philippines >>
19 Oct: AirAsia Philippines is looking for more capital from financial institutions. The airline expects domestic capacity to recover to 60% of pre-pandemic levels in Q4 >>
19 Oct: Metro Manila will shorten its curfew hours from 12am – 4am, but the curfew of 8pm for minors would remain >>
19 Oct: General Santos has recommended resuming commercial flights to the city’s airport from 19 Oct, with 6 inbound flights permitted a week >>
18 Oct: Baguio will reopen to tourists from Luzon, including Metro Manila, from 23 Oct, limited to 200 pax/ day, and increased gradually. The Mayor said that they and other LGUs could no longer afford to be “risk averse”, and that all tourists will need to book ahead and be tested >>
18 Oct: Minors and senior citizens in Lapu-Lapu City will be allowed to check in to hotel and resorts >>
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17 Oct: The Department of Tourism (DOT) has welcomed Baguio’s decision to accept tourists from Luzon >>
17 Oct: Tourists wanting to visit Bantayan Island in Cebu must book accommodation ahead of their trip. The island officially reopened on the 16 Oct >>
17 Oct: Lapu-Lapu City has reminded tourists that they must make reservations before coming to the beach, as capacity is still limited to 50% >>
16 Oct: Travel agents, tour operators and reservation services can resume operations at 50% capacity in GCQ areas, 100% in MGCQ areas. Mall-wide sales will also be allowed in both GCQ and MGCQ areas, and the age restrictions for those to go out is now 15-65 years old >>
16 Oct: The Department of Health (DOH) has said that the Baguio pilot for antigen testing needs more samples before reaching a final conclusion – only 200 have been collected, but it needs almost 1,000 to be conclusive >>
16 Oct: Travel between GCQ and MGCQ areas will now be allowed, subject to LGU approval >>
16 Oct: A private sector tourism council has been organised for Baguio and 5 neighbouring towns in Benguet province (Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba- Tublay), as the towns prepare to join the Ridge and Reef travel corridor with Baguio and Ilocos. The tourism destinations have not yet been identified from the 5 towns for the corridor >>
16 Oct: The Lapu-Lapu City Mayor is appealing to the Inter-Agency Task Force to allow those under 21 years old and senior citizens to be able to check in to hotels and resorts with their family >>
16 Oct: The Department of Labor and Employment has ruled out deferment and exemption of payment of the 13th month pay for 2020, after considering allowing employers to defer the payment – however, they may provide subsidies or bank loans to micro and small enterprises to pay it >>
15 Oct: The Baguio City representative has proposed that the 3.9 billion PHP 2021 budget for the Department of Tourism should be restored – it is currently allocated 3.8 billion >>
15 Oct: In Manila, there are 10 hotels which have been accredited for staycations, whilst Calabarzon has 4. Hotels which are being used as quarantine facilities cannot also offer staycations. Staycation hotels can operate at 100% occupancy, so long as they observe the staffing guidelines of 50% in GCQ areas >>
14 Oct: The DOT announced that divers from GCQ areas will now be welcome to visit the Batangas for diving >>
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14 Oct: A study has shown that 95% of Oslob’s endangered whale sharks have been injured due to tourism activities, significantly more injuries than other places where whale shark feeding is prohibited >>
14 Oct: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has said that it expects the number of inbound visitors to increase from Jan, once vaccines become more available. Arrivals from Jan-Sep were just 3.5 million pax vs 2019’s 13 million pax >>
14 Oct: 4.8 million Filipino workers have been affected by the pandemic – last year, 5.7 million were employed by the tourism industry. The DOT have said that either the tourism workers have been made redundant, or they have had salary reductions >>
14 Oct: Clark International Airport has now completed its new passenger terminal building – it is scheduled to begin operations by Jan 2021, and projected capacity of 12.2 million pax annually, from the current 4.2 million >>
14 Oct: Cebu Safari Adventure Park will be declared a tourism destination >>
14 Oct: Tourism will suffer bigger declines than expected, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has updated. They expect it to generate just one third of its 2019 revenue, but they see a 12% recovery in 2021 >>
13 Oct: The DOT will allocate 8 million PHP to pay for RT-PCR tests for Boracay workers as part of a campaign to show that safety is the “unparalleled priority for reopening domestic tourism.” The latest domestic tourist arrivals to Boracay are 658 as of 11 Oct, with 289 coming from Metro Manila >>
13 Oct: LGUs in Iloilo should start planning their tourism development and promotions, the provincial government has told them >>
13 Oct: The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) sees some recovery by Q1 2021, whilst the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) says that for a tourism recovery to be in place, it needs “public reassurance that safety guidelines are followed, as well as reasonable costs and ease of travel” >>
13 Oct: 52 tourism businesses in Cebu province have been allowed to operate under MGCQ, spanning 14 towns and cities >>
13 Oct: The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will waive airport fees (landing, takeoff and parking fees) for domestic air carriers until the 19 Dec. Meanwhile, Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) are waiting for the details of the financing package from the Bayanihan II Act, and are expecting each airline to receive around 140 million PHP in loan assistance >>
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13 Oct: Talisay City Mayor is pushing for the development of tourism in his city, including building a lechon park for tourists to sample the best lechon in the city. They are also looking at agro-tourism opportunities >>
12 Oct: Philippine Airlines is selling an “aerial tour” of key destinations in the country in its version of a flight to nowhere. The flights will take up to 3 hours from Manila, covering destinations such as the Chocolate Hills, Boracay and San Vicente and are coupled together with an overnight stay at the Conrad Manila hotel. The experience will include an RT-PCR test, and pre-flight activities >>
12 Oct: The DOF has said that they are still waiting for airlines to submit their loan plan and that as of 12 Oct, no airline had submitted the full loan package paperwork >>
12 Oct: The World Bank sees Philippines’ GDP recovering to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, due to its large number of informal workers in the service sector. It predicts that GDP will decrease by 6.9% in 2020, the worst result in 35 years, and 2021 growth would be 5.3% >>
12 Oct: Philippine Airlines is likely to carry out its retrenching of staff in Q4, with a source saying there was a slim chance that PAL would not proceed with the redundancies >>
12 Oct: Lapu-Lapu City will hold a tourism fair, Balik Turismo Fair, on 17 Oct >>
12 Oct: The “CARES for Tourism Rehabilitation and Vitalization of Enterprises and Livelihood (TRAVEL)” program will offer tourism MSMEs zero interest, no collateral loans, with the terms up to 4 years including a 1 year grace period >>
12 Oct: The Senate has approved the 50-year franchise for San Miguel Corp to build a new airport in Bulacan >>
12 Oct: Lapu-Lapu City has ordered its hotels and resorts to implement digital contact tracing by 30 Nov >>
11 Oct: Ilocos Norte will open up for tourists from Luzon from next week, even those under GCQ areas. Visitors would need a negative test result, and the Department of Tourism (DOT) will help to provide a system for visitors to register. Baguio City has now received 179 travel requests, and had 1,701 registrations on their visitor system, VISITA >>
11 Oct: The DOT has permitted 8 luxury hotels in Metro Manila to reopen for staycations >>
11 Oct: The Enchanted Kingdom theme park, the only theme park in the Philippines, will reopen in Oct >>
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10 Oct: 5 Local Government Units (LGUS) in Pangasinan are now open for Region 1 guests: Bolinao, Dasol, Manaoag, Sual and Alaminos City, under the Ridge and Reef Travel Corridor initiative. The DOT is planning to launch a universal website similar to Baguio’s VISITA registration system for the whole Region 1 >>
10 Oct: A road leading to a tourist site in Biliran, costing 92 million PHP, has been completed >>
10 Oct: Diving establishments under GCQ areas, such as the Batangas, will be able to operate for recreational visitors >>
9 Oct: Palawan will open Coron to tourists only if there are no more cases in the area >>
9 Oct: The Aklan governor is sad about the low arrival numbers to Boracay island, averaging around 50 visitors per day compared to its previous 50,000. They admit that needing a swab test is the biggest obstacle for recovery. They are now working on a requirement that Western Visayas tourists will not need a swab test, as they previously did not require that before the island was reopened to all domestic tourists >>
9 Oct: The ban on commercial flights to Negros Oriental still stands >>
9 Oct: The new Bantayan Island Airport will be inspected by the Cebu Governor on 16 Oct, which is expected to start operations by the year-end >>
9 Oct: The Philippine Genome Center’s COVID-19 testing lab will open for drive- thru and on foot swabbing for elective testing, for those who need it for travel clearance >>
9 Oct: 14.1 million PHP was generated in the September Online Sale of the Hotel and Marketing Association, with over 1,000 vouchers sold. 36.3% were for Pasay and Manila hotels, 13.3% for Boracay Island >>
9 Oct: El Salvador city in Misamis Oriental has allowed the reopening of a pilgrimage site, the Divine Mercy Shrine, at 50% capacity. Northern Mindanao is also permitting tourism businesses to reopen, with 281 approved >>
8 Oct: Cebu Pacific has announced that it is looking to raise $500 million USD to help its balance sheet. Funds will be raised through convertible preferred sharee issuance and private placement >>
8 Oct: 38 tourism businesses will reopen in Pampanga, including 7 hotels >>
8 Oct: 8/10 Filipinos think positively about the government’s response to COVID- 19 >>
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8 Oct: Bohol may open Panglao island by Nov, the governor has said. Tourists who want to visit need to register on a website to obtain a QR code, and will need a negative RT-PCR test. They will initially target group travellers, as they are easier to monitor >>
8 Oct: A new campaign, Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat, has been launched by the private sector to encourage consumer confidence, and is across retail, F&B, banking, leisure and telcos >>
8 Oct: The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) of the Department of Tourism (DOT) will launch a new app which will allow booking of hotels, flights and tours, as well as provide updated information about pre-travel requirements. It is aiming to launch in Oct and will be able to integrate with different local government unit (LGU) apps such as VISITA in Baguio and the Ultimate Bohol Experience (UBE) >>
8 Oct: 86% of Filipinos have been stressed over COVID-19, a Social Weather Stations survey has revealed >>
7 Oct: The government has reaffirmed that it is “prepared to participate in the assistance to the airline industry” but “whatever assistance we have or we are going to provide will be part only of the entire process. The private sector banks have to cough up the majority of the assistance.” They also stated that the government does not want to end up owning airlines >>
7 Oct: The Department of Health has said that rapid antigen tests may not be suitable for tourists, frequent travellers and cross border workers, as the Baguio pilot revealed that it did not have the same accuracy as the RT-PCR >>
7 Oct: AirAsia Philippines will add flights from Manila to Zamboanga and General Santos in Oct >>
7 Oct: Cebu, Palawan, Siargao and Boracay island have been named in the top 10 Asian islands list for Condé Nast Traveler >>
7 Oct: Cebu City is working on a mobile app for tourists, due to be launched in 2021, which would reduce the need for physical contact >>
7 Oct: A maximum of 50 tourists per day are permitted to visit Ilocos Norte, which opened on 1 Oct >>
7 Oct: A World Bank survey has shown that 4/10 companies in the Philippines temporarily suspended operations in Jul, whilst 15% permanently closed. 1 in 5 of companies in arts, entertainment and recreation, tourism and food services permanently closed in Cebu, the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Central Luzon. Companies reported uncertainty over reopening, with 36% saying they could remain open only for the next 3 months >>
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6 Oct: San Miguel Corp this month will start working on the new Manila airport in Bulacan this which is expected to be ready in 5-6 years >>
6 Oct: Boracay resort owners are asking for the requirement for RT-PCR tests be replaced by antigen testing instead, to allow more visitors. 53 tourists arrived on 2 Oct >>
6 Oct: General Santos city will continue to implement priority tourism infrastructure projects, including the Queen Tuna Park and pocket parks projects >>
6 Oct: The government is calling for Filipinos to support domestic tourism >>
5 Oct: Bohol is encouraging airlines to fly back to Bohol Panglao International Airport with regular flights, and a “calibrated reopening of commercial domestic flights” >>
5 Oct: Visitors to Boracay could get up to 75% discount on hotel accommodation, to offset the cost of the mandatory RT-PCR test >>
5 Oct: A Social Weather Stations survey has shown that the unemployment rate has dropped slightly from Jul, to 39.5% in Sep, around 23.7 million Filipinos >>
4 Oct: The Philippines reported 3,190 new cases on 4 Oct, its largest increase since 21 Sep >>
4 Oct: Baguio is running parallel RT-PCR and antigen tests on arrivals to see if antigen tests could be used for tourists with a great enough level of accuracy >>
4 Oct: 1,249 prospective visitors have registered on the Baguio VISITA portal, with 107 making travel requests. 43 have been approved from Region 1 to visit, and will be spread out throughout Oct. There are also approved requests for Nov and Dec >>
3 Oct: 17 business sectors will be permitted to operate at 100% capacity in GCQ areas, including non-leisure activities in malls and commercial areas. Dine-in at restaurants will be allowed at more than 50% capacity with social distancing, and food delivery is allowed 24 hrs/ day >>
2 Oct: Discovery World, a hospitality company, will invest 5.8 million PHP in Cay Islands corp, an owner of real estate property in El Nido, Palawan >>
2 Oct: The Tourism Secretary has reassured the public that the results of RT-PCR tests cannot be faked, as they are linked to a QR code which can verify its authenticity >>
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2 Oct: The regular Palace briefings by Duterte’s spokesperson will be held in Boracay on Monday 5 Oct, to help attract more tourists >>
2 Oct: Just 35 tourists visited Boracay on its first day of reopening to tourists from all regions. Just 7 of these came from Metro Manila >>
2 Oct: More tourism businesses are signing up for accreditation by the Department of Tourism (DOT) through its digitisation program, up 32.36% YoY as of 15 Sep >>
1 Oct: Philippine hoteliers are questioning the strict measures implemented for staycations, which include every family member who live in one household to undergo screening. They pointed out that the cost of antigen testing for a family of 4 could cost the same as the room rate >>
1 Oct: Cebu Pacific is planning to increase the number of its destinations, adding Boracay, Bohol, Kalibo, Dipolog, Tuguegarao, Bacolod and Roxas. They will also operate limited international routes >>
1 Oct: Changing Metro Manila’s status from GCQ to MGCQ may be possible by November, the Presidential spokesperson has said >>
1 Oct: Dive operators in Mabini, Batangas, are asking for the government to reopen diving in Anilao >>
1 Oct: Travellers from Palawan will now be able to visit El Nido after an executive order from the Local Government Unit (LGU). Tourists will need health checks, fill in a health declaration form and pre-book accommodation. Island hopping tours will also open but visitors will need their own snorkelling equipment as rentals are banned >>
1 Oct: The need for an RT-PCR test for Western Visayas tourists to visit Boracay may lead to a decline in their number, due to the difficulty in obtaining the test and the expense involved. Previously, tourists required just a health declaration form. 3,780 tourists visited Boracay between 16 Jun-20 Sep >>
1 Oct: Batanes is not planning to open up to domestic tourism in 2020, the Tourism Secretary has confirmed. The province has had its first case in the province, after remaining COVID-free >>
1 Oct: Ilocos Norte is now open to tourists, with an Ilocos Norte Tourist Triage South located near the Badoc gateway for arriving travellers to have their safe pass checked >>
1 Oct: Philippine Airlines will resume its flights to Boracay on 4 Oct, delayed from the original plan of 1 Oct. They will fly to Caticlan twice/ week >>
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1 Oct: 30.7% of Filipinos went hungry at least once in Q3 due to not enough food to eat, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, a jump of 20.9% in the July survey. The Department of Social Welfare and Development also admitted that they had not distributed a 2nd tranche of 10 billion PHP allocated to poor families >>
30 Sep: Fines of 5,000 PHP and one year imprisonment face tourists in Cebu who do not follow the health protocols. The governor said that they are not going for “quantity but quality” tourists >>
30 Sep: Baguio City will open to domestic tourism from Region 1 on 1 Oct, despite the increase of cases in the city. The tourists who visit initially will be limited in the places to which they can visit, including the public market and residential areas >>
30 Sep: Local tourists visiting Boracay will not need a travel authority from the Philippine National Police, the Tourism Secretary has clarified >>
30 Sep: Philippine AirAsia launched promotional airfares to Boracay Island as part of an effort to jumpstart the industry, with tickets as low as 8 PHP >>
30 Sep: Cebu Pacific says that it thinks recovery will “take longer than expected”, but they “continue being hopeful as we see there is still an inherent and latent demand for travel”, and it is still “well-placed” >>
29 Sep: Metro Manila will remain under GCQ from 1-31 Oct, along with Batangas, Tacloban City, Bacolod City, Iligan City and Iloilo City >>
29 Sep: Philippine airlines are likely to remain at much less than 2019 levels in 2021, Fitch Ratings has said >>
28 Sep: Bohol might reopen next in Oct, the Presidential spokesperson said >>
28 Sep: The Tourism Secretary has said that capacities at tourism destinations have been scaled down, with sustainability at its core >>
28 Sep: The Presidential spokesperson has said that the reopening of Boracay means that it is possible for the Philippines to work, if health is taken care of. The Tourism Secretary said that “the reopening of Boracay to new market sources signals a gathering momentum for domestic tourism all over the country.” >>
28 Sep: Dinagat Islands have launched a new type of tourism based on community conservation, trying to harmonise the relationship between communities and the environment >>
28 Sep: Staycations will be permitted from 1 Oct. The regulations have now been clarified:
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• Must only be in 4 or 5* hotels with Certificates of Authority to Operate for Staycations by the DOT • Negative result from antigen test on the same day as check-in • Guests can only staycation in the province where they are located • A maximum of 2 guests from the same household can be in a rom of 20-29 sqm, 3 in 30-39 sqm and 4 in 40-49 sqm rooms • Cashless payment only • Hotels are able to operate restaurants, but not their bars, gyms and swimming pools >>
27 Sep: PHITEX generated 15.6 million PHP from initial deals, preliminary numbers which were released that cover 20% of the sellers. It was the first hybrid event in the Philippines. The Tourism Secretary thinks that MICE travel “might take the lead” over leisure travel, judging from the results of the show >>
27 Sep: The Philippines crossed the 300,000 case mark on 26 Sep, but the cases seem to be slowing down >>
27 Sep: Lapu-Lapu city is discouraging the use of homestay apps such as Airbnb as they have “weak monitoring mechanisms on the compliance of minimum public health standards.” >>
26 Sep: Cebu Pacific has launched a new campaign, “Juan Love – One love for the Philippines”, which will showcase the country’s attractions, but also how every flight supports people behind tourism >>
26 Sep: Davao City is looking at opening up 3 additional flights to/ from Manila >>
26 Sep: Baguio City has had a record number of cases on 24 Sep, 52, linked to a slaughterhouse >>
25 Sep: Baguio City will trial the use of antigen tests for tourists, as a faster and cheaper alternative to RT-PCR tests >>
25 Sep: Consumer confidence in Q3 has fallen to record lows, and businesses are at their most pessimistic for 11 years >>
25 Sep: The Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) opened on 23 Sep >>
25 Sep: 104 tourism sites in Bicol have now been reopened, including resorts, natural tourism areas and historical landmarks >>
24 Sep: Manila’s Mayor has said that he is focusing on helping businesses survive the pandemic, with high-impact projects continuing >>
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24 Sep: The Manila Bay project has had more red flags raised by Infrawatch, a nongovernment think tank, who says that the project was likely overpriced, and there was just one bidder >>
25 Sep: The DOT has proposed that there should be no age restrictions on tourists visiting Boracay Island as “Filipinos travel in families”. They have also revealed that 4.8 million of 5.7 million tourism workers have either lost their jobs or have had salary cuts >>
24 Sep: Boracay will open to travellers from GCQ areas, including Metro Manila, from 1 Oct. Boracay’s hotels will offer discounts of up to 75% as it prepares for visitors from outside the Western Visayas. Travellers will need to have reservations, and will need a health certificate and RT-PCR test result before they are allowed entry. From 16 Jun – 20 Sep, just 3,780 tourists visited the island >>
24 Sep: The trade is welcoming the reopening of Boracay, but concerned about potential clashes between local government units’ (LGU) guidelines >>
24 Sep: Pangasinan town has reopened its ecotourism site at the Bangrin Marine Protected Area. It has extended the boardwalk from just 300m to 1km to the mangrove forest >>
24 Sep: Foreign arrivals from Jan-Aug are down by 72.26% to just 1,318,719 >>
23 Sep: Hotels and businesses along the Roxas Boulevard will benefit from the new Manila Bay white sand project, which partially opened on 20 Sep >>
23 Sep: The Baguio-Ilocos travel corridor might change into a two region travel bubble to include the Cordillera. The government is aiming to “jumpstart the local tourism industry [and] allow it to become the major driver for socioeconomic growth once more”. Tourism will be permitted in the Baguio-Ilocos travel corridor from 1 Oct, with a limit of 200 tourists per day into Baguio and 50 per day into Ilocos >>
23 Sep: The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) have announced that they are negotiating an agreement with the Korean Association of Travel Agencies, in the hope of standardising tour costs, set up a complaints committee and a recommended list of destinations >>
27 May: The House of Representatives also passed a bill allocating 58 billion PHP to support the Department of Tourism’s Response and Recovery Program. These funds will be used for:
• Providing interest-free loans or loan guarantees up to five years for maintenance and operating expenses
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• Credit facilities for upgrading, rehabilitation, or modernization of current establishments to be compliant with new health and safety standards • Marketing and product development promotions and programs • Grants for education, training, and advising for tourism stakeholders for new normal alternative livelihood programs • Utilization of information technology for the improvement of tourism services • Development of a tourist tracking system for emergency response and • Establishment of spatial database to improve planning capacity >>
27 May: The government started making the payouts for the second tranche of the Small Business Wage Subsidy >>
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 >>
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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/philippines/
OUTBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: Cebu Pacific’s board have approved the sale of $250 million USD in preferred shares, which would be sold to existing shareholders >>
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NEW 15 Nov: Philippine Airlines have said that its shareholders remain committed to the airline and providing funding support >>
13 Nov: Philippine Airlines saw a net loss for Q3 of 7.92 billion PHP, with a drop of 76.9% in total revenues. Jan-Sep have seen its passenger revenues drop 65.4% YoY to 35.56 billion PHP >>
12 Nov: Cebu Pacific have revealed a net loss of 14.7 billion PHP from Jan-Sep, with passenger revenues declining 74.5% YoY. Its passenger volume was 4.7 million vs 2019’s 16.7 million. 20% of its 75 planes were in storage >>
6 Nov: The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) has said that the demand for outbound travel has not yet picked up, and the demand still remains the same, due to limited destinations for both domestic and international travel, as well as anxiety about taking a COVID-19 test >>
2 Nov: 54 countries have lifted inbound travel restrictions for Filipino travellers, with just 7 that have no inbound arrival protocols: Haiti, Mexico, Andorra, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Zambia >>
26 Oct: AirAsia Philippines has seen a spike in international flight bookings for early 2021, with a 50% increase during their super sale >>
26 Oct: Cebu Pacific has cleared 51% of its refund requests (2.6 billion PHP) and Emirates 95% of requests >>
23 Oct: Travel agents are unsure whether the new requirement for only an antigen test for Filipinos to travel overseas will increase the number of passengers, as it would not remove the possible requirement of such a test from the destination country >>
22 Oct: Airlines have not seen much increase in international flight bookings yet, but Philippine Airlines is realistic that “the readiness of the flying public to travel out as tourists doesn’t happen overnight” and they remain “optimistic” that it will increase >>
19 Oct: Filipinos are able to travel to 7 countries with no travel restrictions against them: Haiti, Mexico, Andorra, Montenegro, New Macedonia, Serbia, and Zambia. The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) does not expect an “immediate spike” in the numbers for outbound travel, but there is still a “significant amount of interest.” The PTAA also welcomed the decision for travel agents to be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity, but warned that its members might be cautious in resuming when there is limited demand >>
17 Oct: Philippine Airlines has welcomed the lifting of outbound restrictions on Filipinos, saying that “there is now an opportunity to build passenger traffic to
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destinations whose governments carry out parallel easing of restrictions.” Cebu Pacific also welcomed the decision, saying, “We hope this will be followed by the reopening of more destinations within the Philippines, so we may restart domestic tourism as well.” The Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) pointed out the irony of allowing outbound travel to use antigen tests, but domestic travel must still use RT-PCR tests >>
17 Oct: SilkAir is planning to resume flights from Singapore to Davao, although a start date has not yet been confirmed >>
15 Oct: The Philippines and Russia are looking at collaborating for tourism >>
14 Oct: El Al Israel Airlines landed in the Philippines for the first time after 7 years in a “historic flight” >>
9 Oct: The government is urging Philippine Airlines to rethink its plans to make employees redundant, saying that the prospects for the aviation industry are positive as more Filipinos are permitted to return overseas for work >>
9 Oct: Filipinos will be able to travel throughout Russia on an e-visa from 2021, the Russian Embassy in Manila has announced >>
9 Oct: Qatar Airways is now operating 28 flights/ week to the Philippines, including to Manila, Clark and Cebu >>
5 Oct: Philippine Airlines has confirmed that it will cut 2,700 employees, combining voluntary and involuntary redundancies >>
1 Oct: Philippine Airlines started its jobs-cutting initiative on 1 Oct. Its first phase will ask for voluntary resignations, whilst the second phase will involve compulsory redundancies. The program is expected to run until early Dec and expects to cut its workforce by up to 35% >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/philippines/
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SINGAPORE 76% drop in international arrivals from Jan – Jul 2020
TRAVEL All short-term visitors to Singapore are barred from entering the country from 23 RESTRICTIONS Mar. “Fast lane” for Chinese and South Korean business travellers. “Business Track” with Japan from 18 Sep, “Residence Track” from 30 Sep. Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) with Malaysia opened 17 Aug. Singaporeans permitted to travel to China, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam and Australia, and residents from those countries will not have to serve quarantine on arrival to Singapore. Reciprocal Green Lane and Air Travel Pass with Brunei. Reciprocal Green Lane with Indonesia. Air Travel Bubble with Hong Kong to begin early Dec.
LOCKDOWN Phase 2 of lockdown easing started 19 Jun. More businesses reopened and social STATUS activities restarted. Gatherings limited to 5 pax. Shops, parks, swimming pools, and dining in restaurants allowed. Schools reopened fully. Working from home is still encouraged. Approved attractions, hotels for leisure stays and tour operators permitted to reopen. Wearing a mask outdoors obligatory. MICE events up to 250 pax permitted from 1 Oct.
Consumer sentiment Singapore tourism arrivals
% change YoY
3.90%
51.20%
-
84.70%
-
100% 100%
- -
99.60% 99.86% 99.50%
- - - Source: Singapore Analytics Tourism Network Source: YouGOV
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Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Future flight search for travel to Singapore Singapore
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard Total number of daily departures
Source: The Airline Flight Demand Tracker, Lufthansa Innovation Hub
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
NEW 21 Nov: The Hong Kong – Singapore Air Travel Bubble’s start date will be delayed by 2 weeks to early Dec, due to the rise in unlinked locally transmitted cases in Hong Kong. Air travel passengers would be entitled to refunds from the airlines. Singapore’s Transport Minister has said that this is a “sober reminder that the COVID-19 virus is still with us […]. But we will press on and look forward to when we can safely launch the ATB.” >>
NEW 21 Nov: Arriving passengers from Hong Kong to Singapore will now be required to take a COVID-19 test on arrival at Changi airport, making a total of 4 tests required per round trip under the Air Travel Bubble >>
NEW 21 Nov: Jetstar Asia will now be permitted to operate transit routes through Changi Airport from 6 SE Asian cities (Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phnom Penh) from 1 Dec. Transiting passengers (except those from Vietnam) will need to wear a wristband so that the can be identified, will disembark from planes first and board last, and will be kept separate in an area near the front of the plane >>
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NEW 20 Nov: All travellers entering Singapore from Malaysia or Japan will need to serve a 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities due to the rise in cases in both countries. Those arriving from Malaysia will also need to take an RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure, and will apply for those entering Singapore under the PCA or RGL agreements. Travellers from Fiji, Finland, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey will be allowed to serve a 14-day stay-home notice period at their place of residence so long as they meet certain criteria >>
NEW 19 Nov: Johor has asked for an early implementation of a 3rd border opening scheme, the Daily Commuting Arrangement (DCA) between Malaysia and Singapore, with students and teachers being prioritised. They propose that it starts with just 7,000 individuals in the early stages >>
NEW 18 Nov: Travellers arriving into Singapore can now buy travel insurance which will cover them for $30k SGD of COVID-19 related medical expenses, the Changi Airport Group have announced >>
14 Nov: The Singapore PM has urged countries to lift travel restrictions from ASEAN states at the ASEAN Plus Three Summit. In separate meetings with Australia and New Zealand, he also called for the 2 countries to lift their restrictions on Singapore >>
13 Nov: Singapore is introducing a new work pass for top tech professionals, called Tech.Pass, starting in Jan with 500 places. Candidates will need to meet at least 2 criteria: last drawn monthly salary of $20,000 SGD in the past year, 5 cumulative years in leading role in a tech firm with a valuation of at least $500 million USD and 5 cumulative years of experience leading a tech product with at least 100,000monthly users or $100 million USD in revenue >>
12 Nov: Flights between Hong Kong and Singapore on 22 Nov were sold out by the evening of the air travel bubble announcement, and within 24 hours, all flights for Nov were sold out, too. Trip.com said its searches from Singapore to HK increased by 200% 3 hours after the announcement and 300% from HK to Singapore. The hotels being looked at in Singapore and HK were luxury and high-end ones >>
12 Nov: Taiwan has said that Singapore is showing an interest in forming a travel bubble with the destination, and will soon meet with its local trade representative to discuss in further detail >>
11 Nov: The government said: "Our overall posture towards the opening of our borders is one where we are, in principle, prepared to consider more opening up, but it has to be done safely and with appropriate safeguards." >>
11 Nov: Hong Kong and Singapore have announced that their air travel bubble will start 22 Nov. Travellers between the 2 cities will need to take dedicated “bubble”
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flights with either Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines, and the number of pax will be limited to 200/ day. Initially, it will start with 1 flight/ day, then increase to 2 from 7 Dec. Travellers will need to take an RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure, and another test on arrival into Hong Kong. Should the 7-day moving average of daily unlinked cases cross 5 in either country, the air travel bubble will be suspended for 2 weeks >>
11 Nov: From 17 Nov, all non-Singaporean travellers from higher-risk areas will need to take a RT-PCR test within 72 hours of entering Singapore. They will also have to serve a 14-day Stay-Home notice and be tested at the end of the quarantine. Singapore are also making it easier to obtain RT-PCR tests, as from 1 Dec, anyone can obtain one from 600 clinics country-wide >>
10 Nov: Australia might consider opening its borders to certain Asian countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and certain Chinese provinces, the PM there has said >>
7 Nov: More than 2,600 Air Travel Passes have been issued since applications opened up 2 months ago >>
7 Nov: The first Chinese visitors arrived into Singapore on 6 Nov after Singapore allowed short-term visitors on a Juneyao flight from Shanghai, with 129 pax on board, a mix of business and short-term visitors >>
6 Nov: Those arriving into Singapore from Estonia or Norway from 8 Nov will need to serve a Stay-Home notice at dedicated facilities >>
5 Nov: The Minister for Trade has said that Singapore wants to open its country to as many international visitors as possible, depending on their home country of risk. He urged other countries to start discussions now, not “wait for the conditions to be right” >>
3 Nov: Transit travellers from Australia, Brunei, Vietnam and New Zealand are now permitted to access shops at Changi Airport and the SilverKris lounge when flying, no longer having to remain in the transit holding pen >>
1 Nov: The Secretary for commerce and economic development, Yau, was optimistic that the HK – Singapore bubble may open by the end of Nov. It is expected that there would be at least one designated flight between the two countries daily, with the option to schedule more flights >>
31 Oct: Although Johor Bahru in Malaysia is now a red zone after a spike in cases, it will still continue talks with Singapore to fully reopen borders >>
30 Oct: Singapore will waive quarantine requirements for China and Australia’s Victoria state from 6 Nov, so long as they test negative on arrival. It is a unilateral
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move, as Australia and China still do not permit Singaporeans to enter their countries. The Transport Minister has also said that 600 travellers have arrived through the unilateral air travel arrangement, with none of them testing positive on arrival >>
30 Oct: Japan will lift its entry ban on travellers from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 1 Nov, but will continue to suspend its visa waiver agreements, meaning that tourists would still not be allowed to travel. Japan has also lowered its travel advisories from Level 2 (advises against all travel) to Level 3 (advises against nonessential travel) >>
30 Oct: The Singaporean Transport Minister has said that he would “really like to have an air bubble with Malaysia" but that they will have to “wait and see” due to the increase in cases >>
30 Oct: Chinese travellers do not see the new waiving of quarantine requirements as an incentive to visit, due to the 14-day quarantine they will be subjected to upon return to China >>
30 Oct: The Singapore – Hong Kong air travel bubble will help to convince partners that it’s “possible to stay safe and yet open”, according to the Singaporean Transport Minister. He did not reveal the starting quota of travellers, but said that it may be increased as operations become more stable >>
28 Oct: Singaporean residents from 2022 will be allowed to pass through Singapore immigration without passports, as their biometrics will be authenticated through iris scans or fingerprints >>
28 Oct: More travellers can serve a 7-day Stay-Home Notices at home from 4 Nov, including: Estonia, Fiji, Finland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey, so long as they fulfil certain criteria. They will need to arrange special transport from the immigration checkpoint to their residence, as well as testing facilities, with a total cost of around $200-220 SGD to be borne by the traveller >>
27 Oct: Singapore will now charge Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents for the costs of dedicated Stay-Home Notice facilities from 1 Jan, and will be responsible for their inpatient medical bills. However, they will be able to access government subsidies and insurance policies >>
24 Oct: Singapore and Germany have agreed a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) for essential business and official travel using direct flights – the exact protocols and start date will be announced later. Germany also announced that Singaporeans are able to travel to Germany without quarantine from 27 Oct >>
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23 Oct: Singapore has been added to the EU’s list of epidemiologically safe third countries, whose residents should be allowed to enter for non-essential purposes like tourism. Member States are encouraged to gradually lift external borders for Singapore’s residents >>
20 Oct: Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who have travelled out of Singapore after 27 Mar will now be entitled to government subsidies and insurance coverage for COVID-19 treatment if they are found to be positive upon return to the country >>
20 Oct: Bloomberg has reported that the travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore could start with just one daily flight, with the number of flights changing depending on the COVID situation >>
15 Oct: If there is a spike in infection rates in Singapore or Hong Kong, the bilateral air travel bubble would be suspended, the Transport Minister has said. He said that it will be done “progressively, cautiously, steadily (and) safely” >>
15 Oct: Singapore and Hong Kong have reached an in principle agreement to establish a bilateral air travel bubble. There would be no quarantines or stay-home notices for travellers, no restrictions on travel itineraries and restrictions on travel purposes, but they will need to test negative prior to departure and fly on a dedicated flight for the bubble. The Transport Minister has called it a “significant step”. The final negotiations are underway, with no start date yet announced >>
13 Oct: Travellers who have a recent history of travel to Sabah will need to serve a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) at dedicated facilities, given the increase in cases. Any visitor who also has a recent travel history of Indonesia or the Philippines will need to have a negative test to enter or transfer in Singapore. Hong Kong will be allowed to serve a reduced SHN of 7 days at their place of residence. The Immigration Authority will also be lifting the visa suspension, and short-term visitors who require a visa can apply for one through a local contact, overseas mission or visa agent from 18 Oct. These short-term visitors will still need to apply for a SafeTravel Pass to enter Singapore. The Ministry of Health will also make it easier to get tests, increasing the number of clinics for pre-departure testing to over 150 >>
13 Oct: Singapore has said that it is committed to the safe resumption of travel with China, after a meeting between the 2 countries >>
12 Oct: Singapore and Indonesia have agreed a Reciprocal Green Lane for essential business and cross-border travel, with applications to start on 26 Oct. Requirements include a pre-departure and post-arrival COVID swab test, with points of entry and exit the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Batam Centre Ferry
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Terminal for sea travel, and Changi Airport and Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport for air travel >>
11 Oct: The Australian PM has announced that the country is in talks with Singapore to travel, but that they would need to move “very, very cautiously” >>
7 Oct: Indonesia has announced that it is in final stages of negotiation with Singapore to open a reciprocal green lane. They hope to finalise it in Oct >>
7 Oct: The Hong Kong tourism industry is calling for its government to speed up talks to reopen with Singapore, hoping it could happen next month with a limited quota >>
7 Oct: New requirements like strict and repeated testing instead of 2-week stay- home notices are being considered for inbound travellers to Singapore. Air travel bubbles for leisure could also be made to work by setting quotas on the number of arriving travellers/ day, as travellers would need to apply before their journeys. Singapore will also continue to pursue reciprocal green lane arrangements and facilitate transfers at Changi airport – there are now around 2,500 transfer pax/ week. However, the Transport Minister has said: "For Members who are hoping to hear announcements on some air travel resumption and even possible December holiday destinations, I am sorry I will disappoint you." >>
7 Oct: Japan will lift its travel advisories for citizens to travel to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan >>
6 Oct: In an address, the Transport Minister has said that international borders will “open up step-by-step, carefully, safely, steadily. What is at stake is not just hundreds of thousands of jobs, but our status as an air hub, Singapore’s relevance to the world, our economic survival, and in turn, the ability to determine our own future.” >>
4 Oct: Malaysia will continue to discuss reopening the border with Singapore, despite the increase in cases >>
2 Oct: Singapore has removed quarantine restrictions on travellers arriving from Vietnam and Australia (excluding Victoria) from 8 Oct, allowing them to make short-term visits under the Air Travel Pass. The Singapore Transport Minister has said that their counterparts in Vietnam and Australia are considering reciprocating the restrictions for Singaporeans arriving into their countries, but currently they would face quarantine on arrival >>
26 Sep: A “Residence Track” has been launched between Singapore and Japan for business executives and professionals who are work pass holders, as well as the
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Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) for short-term business travellers. The Residence Track applications will begin on 30 Sep >>
23 Sep: A business travel pass for senior executives who need to undertake regional and international responsibilities is being piloted. Travellers would need to follow a strict itinerary, and upon return to Singapore, they would be able to have a test instead of a stay-home notice, self-isolating until the results come out. It would not be country specific, and travellers would have to comply with the restrictions in place in other countries. The number of passes would be limited initially >>
11 Sep: Singapore has agreed a ’Business Track’ with Japan for essential business and official travel from 18 Sep. This is the first country which Japan has established such a framework. Travellers will need to be tested pre-departure and on arrival, as well as keep to strictly controlled itineraries for the first 14 days of their trip >>
2 Sep: A fast lane for residents of Singapore and South Korea will open on 4 Sep for essential business and official trips. Travellers will need to be tested pre- departure and on arrival, as well as follow a closely controlled itinerary for the first 14 days >>
1 Sep: A reciprocal green lane between Singapore and Brunei has been established for essential business and official trips. Passengers will need to take a test upon arrival >>
21 Aug: Singapore will allow people to travel to New Zealand and Brunei for general purposes from 1 Sep, including leisure, and students for study overseas. Travellers entering Singapore from Brunei or New Zealand will also not have to serve a stay-home notice, but will still need to have a COVID-19 test on arrival at the airport. However, this still depends on border measures implemented by New Zealand and Brunei, as Singapore is still in talks to ensure reciprocal arrangements, as those countries only allow their own citizens and residents to visit. Stay-home notices from low-risk countries will also be reduced from 2 weeks to 1 week, including Australia (excluding Victoria), mainland China, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, with a COVID-19 test at the end of their notice >>
14 Aug: Singapore and Japan have agreed to resume essential business travel, with an agreement to come likely by early Sep, called a “Residence Track”. This would provide a quota of cross-border business travel, including a 14-day stay home notice on arrival to each country. They would also need to maintain a controlled itinerary >>
1 Aug: Further requirements have been revealed for the cross-border travel arrangement between Singapore and Malaysia, including for the Reciprocal Green
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Lane (RGL) having documentation from their companies or host agencies to show that the visiting country has approved the trip and be tested before and on arrival. Travellers must stay in their declared accommodation until negative test results are released. Those on short visits of up to 14 days must follow a controlled itinerary for their stay and not use public transport. Those on the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) can do so only via the land borders and travellers entering Singapore must serve a Stay Home Notice (SHN) of at least 7 days and have a COVID-19 test >>
26 Jul: Cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia under the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will start on 17 Aug at the earliest. Applications will begin on 10 Aug >>
15 Jul: The Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will be limited to 2,000/ day initially, whilst the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) will allow 400 people per country on a weekly basis >>
14 Jul: Malaysia and Singapore have agreed 2 schemes for reopening the borders, to start on 10 Aug:
1. Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL), for essential business and official purposes. Travellers would need to undergo PCR swab tests 2. Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) for Malaysian and Singapore residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country, to enter for work. They will be able to briefly return to their home country after 3 consecutive months of working >>
3 Jun: Further details regarding the “fast lane” between Singapore and China have been released. It will start on 8 Jun, and travellers will need to take a COVID-19 swab 48 hrs prior to departure. The test fee will be borne by the passenger. For Chinese travellers to Singapore, they must also undertake a controlled itinerary supervised by the host company for the first 14 days, and may not use public transport (except for taxis). On arrival to Singapore or China, pax will undergo a swab test, and must stay in designated accommodation (China) or isolation (Singapore) until test results are released >>
INBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: The first tours of the Singapore Airlines’ training centre started on 21 Nov. Over 20,000 people had expressed interest in the tours, but the airline is not planning to open up further sessions. The airline has also managed to reduce the amount of single plastics to 80% with the introduction of new paper boxes and bamboo cutlery >>
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NEW 21 Nov: Singapore’s PM has said that he expects cross-border travel to be restricted for at least 2 more years, and for travel bubbles, “we have to keep going and keep those cases under control. If we can do that, then we can move a little bit further” >>
NEW 20 Nov: Airbus has opened its new integrated campus in Singapore at the Seletar Aerospace Park, something which Airbus says reflects its “ongoing commitment to our presence in key regions”, and the Singapore government called a “statement of confidence in Singapore” >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Singapore Brand Office have launched a new scheme which awards local brands a “Made with Passion” label across 4 lifestyle categories: beauty and wellness, fashion, homeware and packaged food and beverages. They will be showcased on a Shopee microsite until Feb 2021, as well as for sale on Singapore Airlines’ KrisShop >>
NEW 20 Nov: 250,000 workers have had their wages cut between Mar to Sep, the Ministry of Manpower has revealed >>
NEW 19 Nov: Some Singaporeans are worried that the $100 SGD SingapoRediscovers voucher may lead to merchants marking up their prices >>
NEW 18 Nov: Singapore has fallen to fourth from first place as the most expensive city in the world for expats to live, the first time in 7 years it did not have the top spot >>
NEW 18 Nov: Singapore’s hawker centres could soon be recognised by UNESCO as part of Singapore’s “intangible cultural heritage” >>
NEW 18 Nov: Singapore has made arrangements with multiple vaccine providers to be sure that it is “not last” to receive the vaccine. The country has also formed a committee to decide who should receive the vaccine first >>
NEW 18 Nov: Jewel Changi Airport has now launched a “glampcation”. There are two tents set up in different areas of the airport, with access to shower facilities at Changi Lounge and include attraction tickets such as the Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studios. There is also an option for a Glampicnic, for 3 hours >>
NEW 18 Nov: Singaporean scientists have developed a breathalyser test which claims to get results within 60 seconds and has a 90% accuracy rate >>
NEW 17 Nov: Far East Hospitality will open up a new hotel on Sentosa Island, Oasia Resort Sentosa, which will focus on wellness and open in 2021 >>
NEW 17 Nov: STB have partnered with Trip.com to market Singapore as a destination in a 3-year agreement. It will cover marketing, data analytics and product
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development, focusing on China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand as key markets >>
NEW 17 Nov: STB will partner with Paris&Co for exchange programmes and information sharing for tourism startups >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Once Upon A Time on the Orient Express exhibition will be in Singapore from 12 Dec – 13 Jun, and will include a pop-up restaurant in a replica dining car with cuisine cooked by a Michelin starred chef >>
NEW 16 Nov: STB have partnered with iQIYI for Singapore to feature as an exclusive destination partner in the 3rd season of its show Youth with You 3 >>
12 Nov: The operator of Expedia Singapore have stopped “false claims” on the validity period of its daily deals, as well as “undertaken not to engage in any further unfair practices” the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore have said >>
12 Nov: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with Pokemon Go with 300 new locations, encouraging local tourism. The new locations are at hotels, attractions, retailers, F&B establishments and tour ticketing booths across 10 precincts >>
12 Nov: TravelRevive, a conference held by ITB Asia and Singapore Tourism Board, will be a hybrid event held on 25-26 Nov at Marina Bay Sands >>
11 Nov: The JB – Singapore Rapid Transit Link may finally break ground in Nov, after a virtual launch on 22 Nov. It will connect Bukit Chegar in Johor with Woodlands in Singapore, with the ability to welcome 10,000 passengers in peak periods >>
11 Nov: Mass testing for larger events has not yet detected any positive COVID-19 cases >>
11 Nov: Singapore researchers have announced positive preliminary results from their own developed vaccine’s early stage clinical trials, and shipments are expected to start in Q1 2021. The vaccine is effective in a single dose >>
11 Nov: The government has said that Phase 3 of reopening can start only if there is a: higher TraceTogether participation rate, compliance with safe management measures and sufficient testing facilities. The COVID-19 taskforce warned that the number of community cases may go up, and they have to be “mentally prepare for that and be ready to ensure that even if the local cases in the community were to rise, they do not form large clusters that are out of control.” They have said that Phase 3 could take place this year >>
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11 Nov: Singapore is experienced in the cold storage facilities required for vaccines, the taskforce has reassured, after news that the Pfizer vaccine requires storage at -70 deg C >>
11 Nov: Singapore Airlines has welcomed the opening of the air travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore, saying that it is an “important step” >>
11 Nov: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will collaborate to offer promotional activities for the launch of the air travel bubble on 22 Nov. These include special gifts such as limited edition face masks and special in-flight menus with local favourites >>
10 Nov: Over 50 businesses have expressed interest in Singapore Airlines’ training programs so far >>
9 Nov: Further details about the nightlife reopening pilot scheme have been revealed: clubs and karaokes will only be open to those with work passes, who have proof of a COVID-19 test within 24 hours and there will be a maximum of 100 people. Partygoers will have to wear masks on the dance floor and stay 2m apart from other groups >>
8 Nov: Singapore’s economy will not increase in a “very vibrant sort of way very soon” according to the PM, as aviation, transport and tourism are likely to be in “suspended animation” for more time >>
7 Nov: A pilot scheme to reopen nightlife in Singapore from Dec with strict social distancing measures has been welcomed by nightlife operators. One of the requirements includes all customers entering karaoke lounges or nightclubs having to test negative 24 hours before >>
7 Nov: Marriott International properties have now partnered with Wildlife Reserves to offer wildlife encounter packages which include a night’s stay, admission to the parks and a chance to meet the animal care team >>
6 Nov: A COVID-19 testing facility has been set up at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre ahead of the start of Singapore’s “cruises to nowhere”. 1,700 passengers are set to join the first cruise on 6 Nov with Genting Cruise Lines. The 1 Dec cruise by Royal Caribbean International has sold out, and the company noted that bookings made in Oct were 6 times the number of bookings received in a similar period last year >>
6 Nov: Malaysia plans to continue with its Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project, as it has a multiplier effect on the economy – but this depends on discussions with Singapore >>
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5 Nov: The New Year’s celebrations in Singapore will not have fireworks at Marina Bay this year, to minimise crowds. Instead, they will be spread out at different locations across Singapore. Marina Bay will also have 2 light shows in December >>
4 Nov: Dream Cruises’ World Dreams ship is focusing on wellbeing for their 6 Nov cruise, with leisure and recreational activities such as yoga with a celebrity instructor >>
4 Nov: Searches for Singapore on Trip.com from Chinese travellers increased 379% after Singapore lifted its travel restrictions >>
4 Nov: Phase 3 of Singapore’s reopening could take up to a year, the Minister for Health has said. It will not be a return to pre-pandemic habits, and instead will be a “new normal” which will last until an effective vaccine or treatment is developed, or the rest of the world has got the virus under control. The aim is to create a “steady state of permitted economic and social activities” >>
4 Nov: Singapore senior citizens will have special arrangements to help them redeem their SingapoRediscovers $100 SGD vouchers, including counters set up at community centres and small group tours aimed at them. The counters will be set up by Klook, UOB Travel Planners, Changi Travel Services and GlobalTix >>
3 Nov: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched 50 Singapoliday bundled packages to Changi/East Coast, Chinatown, Civic District, Joo Chiat/Katong, Kampong Gelam, Little India, Mandai/Kranji, Marina Bay, Orchard Road and Sentosa. It also plans to release videos in a campaign called S.P.I.E.S. (Secret Places in Exciting Singapore), which will feature celebrity hosts >>
3 Nov: The Straits Times has developed a mini site highlighting Singapore’s domestic travel opportunities, SG Go Where >>
3 Nov: Students graduating from aviation and aerospace programs are being supported by a government traineeship program >>
3 Nov: Wearing a mask will remain mandatory outside the home, even in Phase 3 of reopening >>
2 Nov: Dynasty Travel are seeing an increase in enquiries for cruises since the new “cruises to nowhere” opened, as have Chan Brothers >>
2 Nov: Only one new case was detected on 2 Nov, an imported case, which is the lowest daily figure of new COVID cases since 25 Feb >>
2 Nov: Singapore’s international arrivals increased to 9,500 in Sep, a 6.6% MoM increase, but far from 1.46 million arrivals in Sep 2019 (-99.4%). Room revenue was also down 84.4% in Sep YoY >>
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2 Nov: Le Meridien Singapore Sentosa will now come under the Far East Hospitality Group, with a reopening slated for Q2 2021 >>
1 Nov: The change to allow tour operators groups of up to 20 people were welcomed by operators, making their operations slightly more profitable >>
30 Oct: Singapore’s unemployment rate in Sep grew to 3.6%, an increase of 0.2% vs Aug, with an estimated 20,450 employees laid-off in 2020 so far. Other retrenchments in air transport and recreation are anticipated in Q4 >>
30 Oct: Flight prices spiked for flights from China to Singapore after the announcement that Chinese travellers will not have to undergo quarantine on arrival to the country >>
29 Oct: Trafalgar have launched a Near Not Far staycation package for Singaporeans to explore Singapore on a 2D1N Singapore Heritage Highlights tour, with exclusive tours of heritage monuments >>
29 Oct: The Monetary Authority of Singapore have said that they expect the economy to take at least 18 months to recover. They do not expect travel related activity to recover to pre-pandemic levels until the health risks subside, and do not see the SingapoRediscovers vouchers compensating for the loss in inbound tourism spend >>
29 Oct: Everyone in Singapore must now either download the SafeEntry app, or carry a Bluetooth contact tracking device with them >>
28 Oct: The Hong Kong – Singapore air travel bubble may open in November, according to both Carrie Lam, HK’s chief executive, and the Singaporean Transport Minister >>
28 Oct: Singapore Airlines has launched a new KrisFlyer Experience – dining in a Cable Car with Singapore Airlines’ First Class meals, in a twist to its SIA@Home program >>
28 Oct: St Regis Singapore has partnered with Style Theory, a fashion rental business, to create a staycation where guests will have access to a Wardrobe Concierge on arrival. Guests will be able to choose 3 styles from the Infinite Wardrobe range >>
28 Oct: Live performances will be allowed again at designated venues, with 2 zones of up to 50 people. Work-related events will also be permitted at third party venues >>
27 Oct: The Singapore Armed Forces is trialling antigen rapid tests for large-scale events such as graduation parades and conferences >>
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26 Oct: The Singapore Tourism Board has appointed VMLY&R to accelerate its tourism transformation with best practices and a roadmap on customer experience and digital products >>
26 Oct: Sentosa Development Corporation has launched a Make Time for a Holiday campaign. It offers 50 experiences and behind-the-scenes tours, e.g. a chance to make wax figures at Madame Tussauds. They will also partner with NATAS, with 5 travel agents offering 10 tours of Sentosa’s attractions. A series of $100 SGD packages have also been launched >>
24 Oct: The first Restaurant @A380 experience from Singapore Airlines took place on 24 Oct – passengers also got to see a tour of the aircraft, including a session in the cockpit >>
23 Oct: ITB Asia concluded its new virtual format with over 35,000 travel professionals participating worldwide >>
23 Oct: An Ipsos survey has shown that Singaporeans are the least worried about contracting COVID-19 compared to other SE Asian countries at 73%, but 56% said that they were “less confident” about job security for themselves or their families >>
23 Oct: 470,000 lower-income Singaporean workers will receive Workfare Special Payment payouts >>
23 Oct: Core consumer prices still declined in Sep, at -0.1% compared with -0.3% in Aug >>
22 Oct: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched the Tourism Transformation Index (TXI), which is designed to future proof tourism organisations, calculate a score and allow benchmarking against peers >>
22 Oct: As part of an augmented reality push from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Singaporean icons are being mapped using AR to enable tourism players to be able to sell Singapore better >>
22 Oct: The Malay Heritage Centre are offering a glamping experience at their centre, once the royal seat of Malay sultans in Singapore >>
22 Oct: STB has partnered with Expedia in a 2-year partnership, to encourage the choice of Singapore as a destination in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, United Kingdom and United States. It will include promotions, online display ads and creative campaigns >>
22 Oct: STB has partnered with Airbnb Experiences to offer online tourism experiences with a 2-year MOU to "co-promote and grow a range of experiences".
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The 2 have also launched Singapore Virtual Trips, which have online experiences hosted by iconic Singapore tourism partners >>
21 Oct: Phase 3 of reopening could happen by the year-end, with changes including allowing up to 8 pax in a gathering, greater capacity limits at public venues and piloting of opening of nightclubs and karaoke lounges >>
21 Oct: Pre-event testing will be a requirement for some large events, with participants needing to take antigen rapid tests with results released in 30 mins. Mass events could include wedding receptions, B2B events, live performances and sports events >>
20 Oct: Walking, cycling and kayaking tours will now be able to accommodate 20 people from 1 Nov, doubling its previous limit. However, tours must still adhere to the maximum 5 pax gathering rule, meaning that it must be split into 4 groups. All licensed travel agents and tour operators are also allowed to resume onsite operations >>
19 Oct: Over $5.5 billion SGD will be paid out under the Job Support Scheme (JSS) from 29 Oct >>
19 Oct: Expedia have said that searches to Singapore on expedia.com.hk have increased 400% since the announcement of a possible HK – Singapore travel bubble >>
17 Oct: For the first time since Mar, there are less than 100 active cases in Singapore >>
17 Oct: More affordable testing is key to boost tourism between Hong Kong and Singapore, say tourism sector lawmakers in HK >>
17 Oct: More visitors have been heading to Singapore’s Southern Islands, St John's, Lazarus and Seringat, with significantly higher visitor numbers compared to 2019, up 60% >>
16 Oct: The director of cruise development from Singapore Tourism Board (STB) believes that the “cruises to nowhere” will “give us hope”, and that if they succeed, they can make a case for restarting fly-cruises. Royal Caribbean will also be doing a 2-night cruise trial for travel trade to experience the cruise for themselves >>
16 Oct: The Retail Sales Index fell 9% YoY in Aug, the least severe drop since the circuit breaker was imposed >>
16 Oct: Singapore Airlines has a new app, Kris+, which has payment and lifestyle and service rewards in one platform. It also allows its users to earn miles from everyday spend >>
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15 Oct: Dream Cruises are set to hire Singaporeans for the World Dream cruise ship sailings >>
15 Oct: Singapore’s Kidzania is under liquidation, with creditors facing up to 1.5-2 years to recoup monies owed >>
14 Oct: Singapore’s economy contracted at a slower pace in Q3, -7% YoY, but still better than Q2’s -13.3% record drop >>
13 Oct: Significant interest has been generated in “cruises to nowhere”, with Genting Cruise Lines receiving more than 6,000 bookings in the first 5 days, and Royal Caribbean International saying that their first sailing on 1 Dec is almost sold out. Genting Cruise Lines are calling the experience a “superstaycation” because it has meals, outdoor activities and shows >>
13 Oct: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has clarified that the SingapoRedisovers Vouchers are meant for personal use, and not for resale. The final mechanisms are being worked out, and they aim to benefit the “whole tourism ecosystem” >>
13 Oct: Singapore Airlines has added additional seats for its Restaurant A380@Changi, after its 2 original seatings were sold out on the day they went on sale >>
12 Oct: Singapore’s Monetary Authority of Singapore has said that 20% of the country’s economy faces “deep scarring”, with aviation and tourism industries a particular worry >>
11 Oct: A new 3.5km path linking Changi Airport to the East Coast Path has opened, complete with 22 dinosaur models. Visitors will need to reserve a slot on the weekends >>
10 Oct: 63% of Singaporeans generally agreed that it is important that Singapore remains open to foreigners >>
9 Oct: Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and bank DBS are partnering to stimulate domestic tourism, as well as promote cross-border travel in the medium-long term. They have signed a 3 year MOU and will help SMEs to speed up their digital transformation. They will curate promotional tour package bundles, and distribute content to increase awareness of local tourism products >>
8 Oct: The Event Industry Resilience Roadmap has been launched on 8 Oct, with information on how to hold hybrid events. The guide was launched by the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (Saceos), Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The 2nd
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edition of the roadmap will focus on business model development for MICE companies >>
7 Oct: The overall unemployment rate in Singapore climbed to 3.4% in Aug, past the high of the global financial crisis in 2009. It increased 0.4% from Jul >>
6 Oct: The TravelRevive event, taking place between 25-26 Nov, will be the first pilot tradeshow to test safe business events, including safety measures such as touchless technology and plexiglass shields in exhibition booths >>
5 Oct: The Enhanced Training Support Package will be extended until 30 Jun 2021 for hard-hit sectors, including air transport, retail and tourism. The Temporary Bridging Loan Programme will also be extended until Sep 2021, at reduced levels >>
5 Oct: The government is working on the Phase 3 easing restrictions roadmap, but for now it will remain at DORSCON Orange levels >>
3 Oct: Experts see phase 3 of Singapore’s reopening to be as calibrated and cautious as phase 2, with blurred boundaries between the 2 phases >>
2 Oct: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is looking at creating a framework for cruise lines to be able to resume trips from Singapore. Cruises to nowhere would be permitted at 50% capacity for the first 3 months, but all cruises in/ out of the city would need to be audited and receive certification from Singapore. No start date has yet been finalised >>
1 Oct: Haw Par Villa theme park will be closed from 1 Oct-31 Mar 2021 for renovations, including night lighting and ventilation works >>
1 Oct: August’s arrivals were up 30.3% from Jul to 8,910, but were still down from 1.74 million in Aug 2019. The increase in arrivals was from China, from 1,410 in Jul to 2,620 in Aug >>
30 Sep: The International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) will be based at Marina Bay Sands from 2022 >>
30 Sep: Only 22 travel agents have closed over the last 8 months, which industry players attribute to the fact that many travel agents have hibernated, rather than closed down. The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) has said that there will be a high demand for structured itineraries, and end to end travel solutions, and there is a strong pent-up demand for leisure travel >>
29 Sep: Confidence in business activities of SMEs has fallen to its lowest levels since 2009 when the index began >>
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29 Sep: The STB has launched a business WhatsApp account for its Indian travel trade partners as a communication tool >>
28 Sep: The National Heritage Board and the National Gallery Singapore have said that visitors have started to return to museums, but are not yet back to normal levels. Aug visitors were 12,000 to the Asian Civilisations Museum and 31,000 to the National Museum of Singapore >>
28 Sep: STA Travel Singapore is winding up operations, affecting 682 customers, after its parent company filed for insolvency >>
28 Sep: AirAsia’s BigPay will expand its e-wallet to Singapore, with payments and remittance features >>
27 Sep: Many Singaporeans are planning to use their SingapoRediscovers vouchers for local tours, staycations or attractions >>
25 Sep: Corporate travel companies welcome the implementation of the Business Travel Pass but they do believe that it will help to “"open up a safe travel reopening pathway based on destinations" >>
25 Sep: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is working together with Adobe under a program called “One Singapore Experience”, to allow a seamless and personalised experience when visiting Singapore. It is helping tourism companies with digital transformation. Companies such as the Wildlife Reserves Singapore have launched virtual experiences aimed at school groups, which they are now marketing at Indian or Chinese schools, too >>
24 Sep: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has said that it could take 3-5 years for international arrivals to return to previous levels, whilst the Association of Singapore Attractions has urged operators that are struggling to survive to cut their losses now. The Singapore Hotel Association said that international tourists contribute up to 90% of hotel revenue. The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) has also said that they will develop platforms for agents to collaborate >>
24 Sep: More employees will be allowed to work from the office from 28 Sep, but employers should still ensure that employees continue to work from home for at least half of their working hours, as working from home is still the default option. Events in the workplace such as seminars, corporate retreats and AGMs can resume with social distancing measures in place. However, these are not allowed to take place at external venues >>
24 Sep: Plans for the 3rd phase of reopening may be released soon, according to the government. Phase 3 would include more relaxed border controls and allow more people to gather together >>
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24 Sep: A survey has shown that 78% of respondents worried about economic issues, with the majority concerned about unemployment rates. 73% were also worried about health issues >>
23 Sep: Singaporeans visiting Sentosa’s beaches will now need to make advanced reservations during peak periods, where they can choose from 2 timeslots >>
23 Sep: The Kusu Pilgrimage season will limit the number of visitors to just 500/ day for better crowd control. Pilgrims must also make a reservation in advance >>
23 Sep: Startups specialising in AI solutions for hospitality are hopeful for the future, with Vouch and Travelstop seeing a boost in use thanks to the pandemic >>
23 Sep: The Minister for Trade and Industry has said that the government is “working very hard and bilaterally with various countries to resume air services with mutual assurance” >>
16 Sep: Singaporeans 18 years and above will receive $100 SGD in digital vouchers for the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers in Dec. The vouchers will come in denominations of $10 SGD and can be used at all licensed hotels, leisure attractions and local tours which have been approved by STB to reopen. The STB say “As to the exact extent of the catalytic effect, it will be a bit hard to predict at this point in time, but we hope that it is at least a few times what we have provided for in the budget.” >>
18 Aug: The Jobs Support Scheme has been extended by up to 7 months for workers in the tourism, aerospace and aviation industries, with wages paid at 50% from Sep to Mar 2021 >>
18 Aug: “Tourism credits” of up to $320 million SGD will be given to spend domestically, called SingapoRediscovers vouchers. The mechanism for the vouchers will be announced in Sep >>
17 Aug: $187 million SGD will be allocated to support the aviation industry further, with extended financial relief for airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents, and other aviation businesses at Changi and Selatar Airport. It includes landing, parking and rental rebates. The government said that this funding “is critical to preserving our relevance as a global hub” >>
22 Jul: The STB has launched a $33 million USD domestic travel campaign, the largest it has ever run under “SingapoRediscovers”. They will partner with Enterprise Singapore and the Sentosa Development Board, as well as tourism associations, community groups and e-commerce platforms to develop unique and value-for-money experiences and packages for local travellers. It will use 3 approaches:
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1. Partner with local communities to discover off-the-beaten-track activities 2. Curate precinct activities to develop authentic experiences for “Singapolidays” 3. Collaborate with tourism players to develop quality experiences and promotions >>
26 May: The Singaporean government has launched its Fortitude Budget, worth $33 billion SGD. Measures it will take include:
• Extending the duration of wage subsidies until Aug 2020, including MICE and tourism businesses at 75% • May include further support for aviation and tourism longer-term • Rental waivers for SMEs who have significant income loss • One-off $100 SGD credit for every Singapoean household to cover utilities • $2 billion SGD in cash grants to SMEs to offset rental costs • Creation of 100,000 job opportunities in public and private sectors • Financial support for startups >>
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 >>
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 >>
26 Mar: Singapore released its Resilience Package, with many measures supporting the tourism industry, including:
Pear Anderson Sign up for weekly updates 22 Nov 2020 Update https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/ THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
• 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 >>
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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/singapore/
OUTBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: Singapore Airlines is increasing its flights to the USA, doubling flights to Los Angeles and operating its first flights to San Francisco since Apr in Dec >>
NEW 20 Nov: Singapore Airlines is still the preferred airline for Singaporeans, with 35% of Singaporeans saying it is their airline of choice for short-haul flights and 74% for long-haul, a YouGov poll has showed. It also showed that Singaporeans were the most interested in the flight simulator (48%) as part of the Inside Singapore Airlines experiences >>
NEW 20 Nov: Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) is running a campaign, “Taste of Sarawak”, by offering Sarawak cuisine at local hawker stalls in Singapore >>
NEW 17 Nov: Singapore Airlines has applied self-disinfecting coatings to key areas of their fleet, including the toilets and overhead storage compartments. They are also working on other measures which will be announced later >>
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NEW 16 Nov: Singapore Airlines Group’s Oct pax were down 98.1%, as “demand for air travel remained tepid” >>
NEW 15 Nov: Singapore Airlines is number 1 on the YouGov Best Brands list of 2020 for the 3rd year in a row, with WhatsApp and Changi Airport scoring 2nd and 3rd place >>
NEW 13 Nov: A UOB ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study has shown that 81% of Singaporeans expect international travel to resume fully by H2 2021, one of the most optimistic in the region. UOB has also seen spend for Singapore-based hotels jump 70% in Jul 2020 compared to Jun 2020, and up 65% in Aug >>
13 Nov: Singapore Airlines has raised $850 million USD through a convertible bond issue. The original issuance was planned at $750 million USD, but was increased due to strong demand. The funds will be used to strengthen its liquidity and fund operating and capex, as well as debt servicing. This year the airline has raised $12.2 billion SGD in total, and still has the option to raise $6.2 billion SGD up to Jul next year if necessary. The airline has said that is monthly cash burn is now below $300 million SGD, down from $350 million SGD >>
12 Nov: The Travel Corporation has seen an emergence of solo bookings from the 50+ market for its products from Singapore >>
12 Nov: Scoot will operate the non-air travel bubble flights between Singapore and Hong Kong, and customers already booked onto Singapore Airlines but do not meet the conditions, or who are transiting through, will be rebooked onto Scoot >>
11 Nov: Singapore Airlines has announced an extension to its KrisFlyer Miles for the 3rd time, to Jun 2021 >>
10 Nov: Singapore Airlines stocks jumped 12.8% with the news about the successful Pfizer vaccine >>
10 Nov: A new survey by Inmarsat Aviation has shown that 40% of Singaporeans expect to travel less frequently. Singaporeans were more scared of contracting the virus whilst abroad at 70%, and 72% worried about having to quarantine. 22% felt that they would be confident to take a flight within the next 6 months >>
6 Nov: Singapore Airlines has posted its biggest quarterly net loss of $2.3 billion SGD for Q3, with revenue dropping by 81% >>
6 Nov: Scoot will cut 7 cities from its network in Nov/ Dec, including Sydney, Clark, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Osaka. In Dec it will fly to just 12 cities >>
6 Nov: More safety measures are being taken at Changi Airport after 2 airport workers tested positive in Oct >>
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5 Nov: Flight searches from Singapore to Hong Kong have jumped to 50% of 2019 levels, with bookings to 30% of last year’s, according to ForwardKeys. Peak dates for search include week commencing 10, 17 and 24 Dec >>
3 Nov: Singapore Airlines has created a new division, the Singapore Airlines Academy, which will offer training programs to external businesses in service excellence, operational excellence, organisational innovation and digital transformation >>
2 Nov: Singapore Airlines has seen “overwhelming demand” for their tours of its training facilities, with 6,800 registrations >>
31 Oct: Singapore Airlines will reopen its flight to Brunei from 1 Nov >>
31 Oct: Flight prices from Singapore to Hong Kong have already increased by up to 40% >>
30 Oct: The Korean Tourism Organization is aiming to attract buyers from Singapore. It hosted a special virtual site inspection of the Jeju folk Village >>
30 Oct: The new COVID testing lab at Changi Airport will open in Q1, using a test kit that will shorten test results from 2.5 hours to 1.5 hours, and may be shorter for those arriving from lower risk countries, who may be subject to less sensitive but faster tests >>
30 Oct: Tourism Australia has seen an increase in interest from Indonesian agents registering for their Aussie Specialist Program >>
28 Oct: Expedia.com.sg have revealed that:
• Hong Kong, London and Tokyo are top of international destinations for year-end searches • 31% of Singaporeans say their dream trip would be a luxurious and pampering trip, 22% outdoor activities, 18% kids’ club getaway and 11% solo adventure • 36% would be likely to travel to an APAC destination within 7 hours, 14% explore Singapore, 14% explore Europe and 10% Malaysia for their next big holiday • 53% say a post-trip quarantine would prevent them from booking a trip in late 2020 or early 2021 >>
26 Oct: Air Charter Service have seen 3 times as many charter flights in Aug as Mar, and have launched their own “flight to nowhere” from Seletar Airport >>
21 Oct: A new Booking.com survey has shown that:
Pear Anderson Sign up for weekly updates 22 Nov 2020 Update https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/ THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
• 55% of Singaporeans said that they won’t feel comfortable travelling until a vaccine of effective treatment is found • 63% are still excited about travelling again, and 53% saying that they had a heightened desire to see the world • 41% are also planning to travel more in the future to make up for lost time in 2020 • 70% will be more price-conscious and 59% will hunt down promotions and savings >>
20 Oct: Singapore Airlines will resume flights from Singapore to New York with "early signs of optimism". They will reopen flights to JFK from 9 Nov, with 3 weekly flights which will be a mix of passenger and cargo traffic, as well as catering for transit passengers >>
16 Oct: Travel agents will work closely with tourism associations once the air travel bubble between HK and Singapore is underway, with Singaporean travel agents noting that safety will be the primary concern >>
16 Oct: Singapore’s Transport Minister says that the global aviation industry could take at least 2 years to recover, and for mass travel to return. A balance therefore needs to be found between travel and epidemic control >>
16 Oct: Flight tickets increased in price within 24 hours of the announcement that Singapore and HK would launch a travel bubble with one another. Currently, there are 54 round trips filed for October between the 2 countries, and analysts expect to see demand depressed in the near-term >>
15 Oct: Singapore Airlines has announced that its Sep pax carriage was down 97.7% YoY, Silk Air 99.1%, and Scoot down 99.4% >>
14 Oct: Singapore Airlines have started selling air tickets from Singapore to Bangkok from 16 Oct >>
14 Oct: If suspected cases of COVID-19 arise on the cruises to nowhere, the patient will be isolated, along with their close contacts, the ship will return to port and all guests will have to remain in their rooms, under strict protocols >>
9 Oct: An online poll has shown Singaporeans have mixed views on cruises to nowhere, with 51% for it, 49% against it. Those who are against it cite a lack of confidence in safety >>
8 Oct: 2 cruise lines will be permitted to operate “cruises to nowhere” from Singapore: Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream from 6 Nov and Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas from 1 Dec. The ships will have to operate at 50% capacity, will only allow Singaporean residents, and crew will need to undertake a 14-day isolation period in their home country, followed by a 14-day
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stay-home notice on arrival to Singapore. Ships will also need to obtain CruiseSafe certification >>
8 Oct: In a poll on which country Singapore should negotiate an air bubble with, South Korea came top (40.74%), followed by Japan (17.7%) and Thailand (16.9%). Malaysia, New Zealand and China were also on the list >>
7 Oct: Singapore Airlines will resume its flight to Fukuoka on 5 Nov, flying once a week. It will also expand its Singapore – Tokyo Narita and Singapore – Kansai route to 5 times/ week >>
6 Oct: Changi airport will set up a dedicated testing lab at the airport as testing will be key to unlocking air travel, the Transport Minister has said. The airport already has a facility to be able to swab 10,000 pax/ day >>
6 Oct: The Changi Airport Terminal 5 project will be put on hold for 2 years to assess air traffic demand, the government has said >>
6 Oct: The Transport Minister has said that now is not the time to be talking about imposing an environmental tax on Singapore Airlines >>
6 Oct: Changi Airport has dropped from being the 7th busiest airport in the world to 58th, with direct flights to just 49 cities worldwide, flying just 1.5% of its previous pax, something which the Transport Minister has called a “deep crisis” for the airport group >>
5 Oct: Singapore Airlines expects to reach 15% of its normal volume of flights by year-end, increasing the number of destinations and frequencies. By the end of Mar 2021, it expects to be flying 50% of its usual pax traffic >>
2 Oct: Changi Airport Group’s net profit attributable to shareholders fell 36% in the financial year ending 31 Mar. The group has cut salaries of staff by up to 30%. The group have said that they will reassess air traffic demands for T5, but it remains a critical piece of infrastructure long-term >>
1 Oct: Singapore Airlines has unveiled its new experiences, called “Discover Your Singapore Airlines”. These include dining on board a stationary A380 in economy, premium economy, business and first class for 2 afternoons, tours of its training facilities, a flight stimulator experience and even a home dining food delivery experience. They will not offer flights to nowhere >>
28 Sep: All Nippon Airways will start flights to Singapore and Bangkok in November >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/singapore/
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THAILAND Could lose up to $51 billion USD in tourism revenue
TRAVEL Certain non-Thai passengers allowed entry, including: medical tourists, filming RESTRICTIONS crews, Thailand Elite card members, foreigners who have work permits, foreigners married to Thai nationals, foreigners studying at educational institutions, Special Tourist Visa holders, foreign athletes who will participate in the Tour of Thailand 2020 bike race, Thai Airways pilots and cabin crew, holders of non-immigrant types of visa, long-stay tourist visa, holders of the APEC Business Travel Card from low-risk countries, 60-day stay tourist visas and yacht passengers.
LOCKDOWN All businesses reopened, including hotels, exhibition centres. Interprovincial travel STATUS allowed. Schools fully opened, limits on shopping mall operation hours lifted. Pubs, bars and karaoke must close by 12am.
Consumer sentiment Thailand tourism arrivals
% change YoY
2.50%
42.80%
-
76.10%
-
100% 100% 100%
- - -
Source: Ministry of Tourism & Sports Thailand 1, 2, 3
Source: YouGOV
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Flight searches and booking volume for travel to Future flight search for travel to Thailand Thailand
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard Total number of daily departures
Source: The Airline Flight Demand Tracker, Lufthansa Innovation Hub
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
NEW 22 Nov: Thailand seems to have changed its requirement of 500,000 THB in savings for those who are applying for the Special Tourist Visa (STV), with embassies around the world either not mentioning a specific amount, or an amount which is much lower >>
NEW 21 Nov: The TAT have announced that 681 tourists have applied for and received the STV in Nov >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved in principle the reduction of quarantine from 14 to 10 days >>
NEW 19 Nov: Work permits will be granted to holders of the Thai Elite Card who plan to invest at least $1 million USD in Thailand over 5 years. A plan for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to partner with local hotels and Thai Airways to offer tourism packages plus hotel stays was also approved, which will be offered from 1 Dec – 31 Mar targeting 2,000 visitors and revenue of 200 million THB/ month >>
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NEW 19 Nov: Embassies seem to have removed the requirement of 500,000 THB in savings for the 60-day tourist visa >>
NEW 18 Nov: The Tourism & Sports Minister again called for a travel bubble with China, saying that he believes Thailand is prepared to handle COVID-19 cases and that the economic benefit outweighs the risk >>
NEW 18 Nov: Embassies have been reporting an interest in the 60-day single entry tourist visa, with the Association of British Travel Agents stating that they had at least 4,000 customers who have shown interest so far, with a take-up rate of 50% at least >>
NEW 16 Nov: Phuket has submitted a proposal to allow it to open to foreign yachts, with detailed plans. Por Bay would be the sole gateway for vessels and would moor in an area 6.2km from the shore during their 14-day quarantine. 60 leisure boats have shown interest in docking, including 27 super yachts and 33 cruise boats with 600-700 people each, which could generate 2.1 billion THB for the economy >>
14 Nov: Just 331 foreigners used the Special Tourist Visa in Oct, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have revealed, whilst 501 foreigners arrived on retirement visas, and 296 on the Thai Elite Card. They have said that 1,000 travellers have requested to visit Thailand via various visas, especially from Scandinavia. 900 Thai Elite Card holders have also applied to be let in. The TAT are advocating for making entry requirements more lenient, in particular the “fit to fly” certificate >>
14 Nov: The Deputy PM has said that the 10-day quarantine proposal is being prepared for submission to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) next week, but should only be implemented for those from low-risk countries >>
12 Nov: The Tourism Ministry is due to hold talks with the Chinese Embassy in Nov to find a way to allow Thai and Chinese tourists to visit one another’s country. They remain hopeful that this could take place by Feb next year. South Korea will also allow its golfers to travel to Thailand, so long as they follow quarantine procedures. The Tourism Ministry also plans to hold talks with Japan, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand >>
12 Nov: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has asked the government to strike a travel bubble agreement with China, which would be managed via tour companies to effectively manage the tourists whilst in destination. They estimate this could generate 300,000 travellers per month and 15 billion THB revenue >>
11 Nov: Thai Immigration have reported that they have had 10 yachts apply to dock in Thailand, mostly from Malaysia and Singapore. The majority are planning to dock in Pattaya >>
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11 Nov: The Deputy PM has said that the mandatory quarantine period will remain at 14 days for now >>
11 Nov: Thailand has relaxed its tourist visa requirements, allowing visitors in for 60 days from medium-risk countries, including from Europe. Visitors will need to apply in advance, have at least 500,000 THB in savings, health insurance coverage of $100,000 USD, outpatient insurance of 40,000 THB, take a COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival and carry out a 14-day quarantine on arrival >>
11 Nov: The PM welcomed the idea of a golf quarantine, although has said that it will still need approval from the CCSA >>
10 Nov: All STV arrivals so far have been COVID-19 free according to the Health Ministry >>
9 Nov: The former president of the Thailand Hotels Association is asking the government to think about travel bubbles to reboot tourism >>
7 Nov: The Thai Travel Agents Association has said that there is pent-up demand for outbound tourism, and travel bubbles should be set up, starting with SE Asia. If no quarantine was required, this will generate more trips >>
6 Nov: Thailand is hoping to have a travel bubble with China as a “New Year’s gift” to the Thai tourism industry, hoping to welcome Chinese tourists with no mandatory quarantine by Chinese New Year >>
6 Nov: The proposal for quarantine to be shortened from 14 to 10 days has now been submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration for approval – 6 countries would initially be included (China, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) >>
6 Nov: The Tourism Minister has said that they will introduce a golf quarantine to attract golfers from Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea, hoping to get 20-30 golfing resorts to join the Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ) scheme >>
6 Nov: Pattaya businesses are calling for Chinese and Russian tourists to be able to fly unto U-Tapao airport and quarantine in Pattaya city under the “Pattaya Model” >>
3 Nov: The Transport Minister has said that Phuket is 100% ready to welcome STV tourists >>
2 Nov: The TAT is hopeful that the first group of Scandinavians will arrive into Thailand this year, signalling a revival for the European market. Their 2021 goal will be to increase the trip duration, rather than volume. It will also launch the Amazing Thailand Plus Package, a one-stop website for tourists interested in entering the country on the STV, which is expected to start mid-Nov >>
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2 Nov: Thai Airways have announced semi-commercial routes to 7 destinations: London, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei and Sydney. They will be used for returnees, people with families in Thailand, businessmen, students and transit passengers >>
1 Nov: Foreigners who test positive for COVID-19 would not be taken to Thai public hospitals, a doctor has made clear – instead they would go to a partner hospital in the private sector >>
31 Oct: Thai health authorities are guaranteeing the safety of shortening the quarantine period from 14 to 10 days for those coming from countries of low transmission >>
30 Oct: Japan will lift its entry ban on travellers from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 1 Nov, but will continue to suspend its visa waiver agreements, meaning that tourists would still not be allowed to travel. Japan has also lowered its travel advisories from Level 2 (advises against all travel) to Level 3 (advises against nonessential travel) >>
30 Oct: Thailand will develop a “Smart Band”, which will be used to track inbound tourists. It would track their location, body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate. It would initially be trialled on a group of incoming tourists on 1 Nov >>
30 Oct: The Tourism Authority of Thailand has said that all inbound tourist sin the first phase of reopening must stay in alternative state quarantines (ASQ) in Bangkok, as direct flights to other provinces have been delayed and Bangkok has the “best equipped” public health system. Tourists will be allowed to stay in alternative local state quarantines (ALSQ) in provincial areas if there is enough demand in the 2nd phase of reopening >>
29 Oct: Foreign tourists and crew on foreign yachts will be permitted to apply for the Special Tourist Visa scheme once they arrive at immigration checkpoints >>
29 Oct: Pattaya wants to introduce its own “Pattaya model” of the Special Tourist Visa (STV) to attract Russian and Chinese tourists. The Mayor is planning a private- government committee to plan the model, and would look at targeting tourists from low-risk cities, as well as opening up U-Tapao airport to welcome direct international flights >>
27 Oct: 145 tourists arrived into Bangkok from Guangzhou under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme >>
26 Oct: Thailand is creating a list of low-risk countries, which will be used to consider reducing quarantine periods >>
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23 Oct: Thailand has been added to the EU’s list of epidemiologically safe third countries, whose residents should be allowed to enter for non-essential purposes like tourism. Member States are encouraged to gradually lift external borders for Singapore’s residents >>
23 Oct: Despite China banning outbound tours for the foreseeable future, officials maintain that Chinese arrivals under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) are permitted >>
23 Oct: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has clarified that the medical insurance required for visiting Thailand can be obtained online before arrival >>
23 Oct: The government has clarified that tourists entering under the STV are allowed to choose the location of their quarantine hotels, whether in Bangkok or in the provinces, after a report that tourists who wanted to choose a hotel in Pattaya were blocked. The TAT have said that 13 Hong Kong tourists have been approved under the STV, and that 13 tourists from Shenzhen, two from Singapore, 118 from Shanghai and 147 from Guangzhou have submitted requests to the TAT. If there is sufficient demand, semi-commercial flights may be allowed to bring the tourists in >>
22 Oct: The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has agreed to 2 quarantine packages for tourists: wellness quarantines at medical spas and wellness resorts, and a long-term care package for elderly travellers. The two models for wellness quarantines would come into effect after a 14-day quarantine, and include a 7-10 day health program package, with 40 different venues considered, and a one-month package for older travellers including physical therapy, yoga and basic exercise. An additional package related to golfing is also being considered >>
22 Oct: Overseas yachts can now dock in Thailand, but tourists and crew members will need to quarantine for 14 days on board the yacht and be tested for COVID-19 3 times prior to entry. Officials estimate there are around 60 yachts with 600-650 crew and tourists who want to dock in Thailand, which could generate 2.1 million THB >>
22 Oct: The first group of Chinese tourists under the STV were COVID-free, the government announced >>
22 Oct: The Ministry of Public Health hopes to reduce quarantine from 14 to 10 days >>
22 Oct: Bangkok’s “severe” state of emergency has now been lifted >>
21 Oct: 39 Chinese visitors arrived into Thailand under the STV on 20 Oct, and will now undergo a 14-day quarantine >>
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21 Oct: Applications for the Thai Elite Visa are doubling every month, according to Thailand Privilege Card, with 11,500 applications now received >>
20 Oct: 100 tourists from Guangzhou are expected to arrive on 26 Oct from Guangzhou into Bangkok >>
20 Oct: The appointments for interviews for the STV at the Shanghai consulate for Thailand are fully booked into Nov, and Chinese travellers are facing difficulties obtaining flights >>
17 Oct: Thailand is in talks with China to establish quarantine-free travel by Jan, subject to the limited reopening in 2020 being a success. Instead, tourists would need to be tested and have a mobile tracking app installed. The Tourism Minister believes that if an agreement with China is struck, further agreements could be made with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, and expect arrivals of 5-10 million in 2021 >>
17 Oct: The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has been advised to cut quarantine down to 10 days from 14, and a decision is expected at the end of the month >>
16 Oct: The first group of 120 STV tourists is expected to arrive on 20 Oct at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport from Guangzhou. The second group of 120 people, also from Guangzhou, is expected into Phuket on 26 Oct. They will stay in Thailand for 30 days, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will provide them with activities to do during their 14-day quarantine period >>
16 Oct: Around 500 Thai Elite Card members have been approved to visit Thailand. The scheme received 900 new applications in Aug and Sep, compared to 400 pre- pandemic >>
16 Oct: A new test kit is being developed which does not need blood or swabs, and would take 3-5 days for accurate results, the Public Health Minister has said >>
13 Oct: The Ministry of Health has proposed that short-term international tourists can visit in groups, but the new tourists would be allowed to leave the hotel during the quarantine period on local escorted tours. These visitors would need to wear tracking devices and would be accompanied by medical agents, with Chonburi a potential trial run location >>
12 Oct: According to reports, no tourists from Guangzhou applied for the new STV, as the TAT had apparently released a list of tourists expressing their ‘interest’, but who did not go through the process of applying for the visa >>
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10 Oct: Foreigners who own property in Thailand will be added to the list permitted to apply to enter Thailand – but they need to be able to show a balance of at least 3 million THB deposited in a Thai bank account >>
10 Oct: The Health Ministry has said that the quarantine for travellers arriving from a low-risk country (where infection is at 0.2 per 100,000 residents) could have a 7- day quarantine, but additional checks would need to be in place >>
10 Oct: The Tourism Minister has said, "Before we approach the second stage on Nov 17, which aims to shorten the quarantine period, we must evaluate the first phase. If there's even a single case, we cannot continue to the second phase." The first group of tourists from China are expected on 20 Oct to Bangkok, and the next group will be 26 Oct to Phuket. The Scandinavian group is still scheduled for 1 Nov. The Tourism Minister suggests that the Foreign Ministry consider tourists based on city, rather than country, and will also propose a 7+7 plan, where tourists should stay in their rooms for 7 days, then be allowed outside the room, but remain within the hotel area for 7 days >>
9 Oct: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will work closely with the Foreign Ministry to facilitate incoming tourists, as hundreds of travellers await permission, including Thailand Elite Card members and Special Tourist Visa (STV) applicants >>
9 Oct: The director-general of the Department of Medical Services is supporting the reopening of Thailand, saying: "This means we may have to see a small number of infections but if we work together to prevent them, the country will be able to achieve a balance between public health and the economy." He also mentioned that maintaining zero cases was unrealistic >>
8 Oct: Administrative processes have delayed the issuing of the STV, the TAT has said – they expect 100 tourists to arrive this month >>
8 Oct: The STV, which would have seen the first group of Chinese tourists arrive into Phuket, has now been delayed until after the island’s vegetarian festival has finished, to allow locals to celebrate without fear. There have been cancellations from locals to Phuket after conflicting messages from the government >>
7 Oct: Japan will lift its travel advisories for citizens to travel to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan >>
7 Oct: A poll by the National Institute of Development Administration has shown that 57% of Thais disagreed with the STV scheme, with 40.2% saying it could cause a 2nd outbreak. 62.6% of Thais had no confidence in the government’s ability to prevent the spread of Covid-19 once they reopen the country to foreign tourists >>
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7 Oct: The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) is considering a proposal to exempt key foreign investors from quarantine >>
6 Oct: The head of the panel for economic recovery has said that Thailand should reopen now, or face collapse. They said that the Q4 season was vital to the industry, and if it reopened after that, it would be too late >>
4 Oct: 4 more airports have been given initial approval to receive international medical tourists: U-Tapao, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Phuket >>
4 Oct: All Special Tourist Visa (STV) applicants must come from low-risk countries >>
3 Oct: Despite earlier proclaiming that the first group of Chinese tourists under the STV would arrive on 8 Oct, the Tourism & Sports Ministry has now revealed that this is delayed to later in Oct, as entry processes had had to be settled first. However, it is still set to go ahead and will welcome at least 1,200 tourists. They acknowledged that the idea of a shorter quarantine period of 7 days could be “on the radar, but we need to see how it goes step by step”. They also clarified that any province which has alternative local state quarantine facilities (ALSQ) can be a destination for long-stay tourists, not just Phuket and Koh Samui. However, only Phuket and Bangkok can host STV tourists in Oct, as tourists must fly into a city with an international airport and ALSQ >>
2 Oct: The Tourism & Sports Minister confirmed the first group of 150 Chinese tourists under the STV would arrive into Thailand on a chartered AirAsia flight. Another group of 126 would arrive from Guangdong to Bangkok on 25 Oct, and a 3rd group of 120 from Scandinavia and Schengen countries to Bangkok would arrive on 1 Nov >>
1 Oct: The STV is now officially approved, with the following conditions:
• Be from a low-risk country • 14-day quarantine in ALSQ • Provide evidence of a place to stay during the long visit • Proof of payment for hotel accommodation/ hospital for quarantine • Proof of payment for accommodation once discharged from quarantine/ deed title of visitor’s property/ evidence of renting accommodation • Proof of health and accident insurance policy, covering 40,000 THB outpatient treatments, 400,000 THB inpatient treatments • Pay 2,000 THB for a visa for 90 days, which can then be renewed up to 2 times >>
1 Oct: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has proposed that foreigners from low-risk countries be allowed to enter without a 14-day quarantine, to boost
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the number of tourists. They have warned that there will be more closures of tourism businesses if the number of tourists who can enter is not raised >>
30 Sep: The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration has approved 6 groups of foreigners into Thailand, including: foreign athletes who will participate in the Tour of Thailand 2020 bike race, Thai Airways pilots and cabin crew, holders of non-immigrant types of visa, long-stay tourist visa, holders of the APEC Business Travel Card from low-risk countries >>
29 Sep: Thailand is considering granting business visas to Japan to attract investment. They are also thinking of a shorter quarantine, which would allow business travellers. The Deputy PM said, “Next year, we will be focusing on the opening of the country” >>
29 Sep: The visa amnesty for foreigners stranded in Thailand has been extended until 31 Oct >>
27 Sep: The Special Tourist Visa (STV) is set to be approved by a government committee on 28 Sep. STV travellers must undergo a 14-day quarantine on arrival, and arrive by charter flight. They expect 1,200 travellers to enter each month, generating 1.03 billion THB >>
25 Sep: The Tourism Minister has said that he wants to shorten quarantine to 7 days to make visiting Thailand more attractive from mid-Nov, if none of the tourists in the first batch tested positive. The Minister said that 300 tourists have already been attracted to the program and will enter on 1 Oct. If the first batch is ‘safe’, they will allow the 2nd batch of 300 tourists to arrive on 21 Oct. If the initial phase is successful, they will ask the government to allow 10,000 foreigners to enter per week >>
24 Sep: A special wellness quarantine initiative may be launched at Thai spas under the Alternative State Quarantine program. This may go ahead initially in Krabi, if granted approval >>
24 Sep: The immigration department is warning foreign tourists stuck in Thailand who have over-stayed and not renewed their visas that they will face fines and potentially imprisonment. The visa amnesty expires on 26 Sep >>
21 Sep: The Ministry of Tourism and Sport has clarified that tourists entering under the STV would not need to undertake self-isolation in their home country prior to departure >>
19 Sep: Additional requirements for travellers hoping to enter Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa (STV) will need to have quarantined in their origin country (during which they will need to have been tested twice), as well as a specified
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minimum amount of money in their bank account. Low-risk countries will be allowed first, but no details yet have been shared as to which countries these may be >>
18 Sep: The Tourism & Sports Ministry has said that the STV will be up and running by Oct, with Bangkok as the primary destination. It has asked tour operators to start promoting long-stay packages They have clarified that foreigners who want to enter Thailand under the STV will need to enter either by charter plane or private jet, which will be issued by Thai Embassies abroad. During the first stage of reopening, there will be a limit of 3 charter flights with a maximum of 100 pax per plane >>
30 Aug: The Phuket Tourism Association disagrees with the “Phuket model”, and wants only a small number of foreigners to be allowed in who have been screened and tested. Some locals are also concerned that VIP tourists may not follow the rules, and that the scheme will not benefit them, only certain hotels >>
28 Aug: A government spokesperson on 28 Aug said that the “Phuket model” will not be implemented across the country nor in the near future, with many factors yet to be considered >>
28 Aug: Government ministers will survey local Thais and businesses for the opinion on reopening Phuket to foreigner tourists >>
28 Aug: The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will recommend that long-term residents and foreigners with permanent residences in Thailand be allowed to return, as they have high purchasing power >>
27 Aug: Thai Airways have announced that they will launch charter flights to Phuket from Denmark, Germany, UK, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China in late Nov, with 2 flights per month, as part of the government’s policy >>
27 Aug: Singapore and Thailand have agreed to speed up discussion on a reciprocal green lane for essential business travel >>
27 Aug: Thailand will allow more foreign medical tourists to enter the country from Sep, with 100 additional health facilities allowed to accept patients, bringing it to a total of 220. Hospitals have urged for processes to move faster, saying that patients have died whilst waiting for urgent medical treatment >>
26 Aug: The PM has said that Thailand needs to open to limited foreign tourists as “the country needs oxygen to breathe for survival.” He reassured the public that they would not open the whole country to unrestricted arrivals, and stringent measures would be in place >>
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1 Aug: Phase 6 has now begun, and four groups of foreign visitors will be allowed entry, including foreign business representatives, film crews, medical tourists and Thailand Elite card members. These must stay in quarantine facilities on arrival >>
INBOUND
NEW 21 Nov: Chiang Mai’s tourism is improving due to the cooler weather, with hotels reporting 40% occupancy in Nov compared to 15% in Oct. Chiang Mai International Airport is seeing 22,000 pax/ day on average, and they estimate that on long weekends it could reach 25,000. Before, it would receive 40,000/ day >>
NEW 21 Nov: The Thai hotel industry has called for debt relief, tax changes, wage subsidies and reopening the borders to support them >>
NEW 20 Nov: Taxis in Bangkok travelling to and from the airports will be able to charge a special fee for luggage >>
NEW 20 Nov: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is confident that the number of domestic tourists over the next 2 months will bring the total domestic tourists to 70 million in 2020, and that the recent local cases will not put tourists off. Jan-Sep domestic trips were 52.7 million, down 54.1%, whilst average spending dropped 14.4% per trip. Oct’s hotel occupancy rates were 34.4%. The TAT also plan to introduce the “Best Selfie in Thailand” competition with an airline-blogger partnership from mid-Dec, and will also launch a campaign focusing on caravans for cross-regional trips >>
NEW 20 Nov: 3 million Thais are expected to travel domestically for the 19-22 Nov holiday weekend, generating 12.6 billion THB in revenue. The TAT predict a hotel occupancy of only 37%, citing the fact that hotel bookings in Krabi have been cancelled after one lone case of COVID was detected and that another long weekend was approaching >>
NEW 20 Nov: Villagers on Phuket have now modified their motorbikes with sidecars to allow tourists to stop at Mai Khao Beach, where tourists can watch planes landing, as part of a community tourism project >>
NEW 20 Nov: 5.29 million Thai people set out on trips on 18 Nov according to the Ministry of Transport >>
NEW 20 Nov: Nakhon Si Thammarat could see 800 million THB in tourism spend over the long weekend as tourists come to pay respects to a popular child spirit, Ai Khai, at Wat Chedi. Local hotel occupancy has been around 80% >>
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NEW 19 Nov: Diethelm Travel has released all non-core staff indefinitely from Jan 2021, to allow staff to find other opportunities. The company said that the STV was “completely useless” >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Thai PM has said that all laws would be used against protestors, after paint was thrown at the Thai police HQ in response to the police use of water cannon and tear gas on the 17 Nov protest >>
NEW 19 Nov: The 3rd round of registration for the government’s co-payment stimulus program saw 700,000 people claiming their spot within an hour. As of 19 Nov, it had generated 18.79 billion THB in revenues >>
NEW 19 Nov: Minor International have said that they have lost more than 2 billion THB in Thailand from Jan-Sep, whilst the Erawan group have said that hotel occupancy has been at 20% for more than 5 months >>
NEW 19 Nov: Thailand has reserved 26 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine >>
NEW 19 Nov: Thai Smile Airways launched a new direct route from Chiang Mai to Nakhon Si Thammarat >>
NEW 19 Nov: Thailand will hold the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in 2023 >>
NEW 18 Nov: Thai Vietjet has received 2 new aircraft, bringing its total number to 13. T expects to receive 2 more in Dec >>
NEW 18 Nov: Academics have called for the government to speed up aid for the tourism industry with customised aid packages >>
NEW 18 Nov: The TAT, hotels and airlines have created an “Expat Travel Bonus” with a discount of 1,000 THB per night at over 300 participating hotels, and up to 50% off airfares >>
NEW 18 Nov: Pattaya has reported that 300,000 foreign and local residents have left the town >>
NEW 18 Nov: The TAT and ICONSIAM are organising a big ‘Amazing Thailand Countdown 2021’ event on 31 Dec, which will take place in Krabi, Sukhothai, RoiEt, Ratchaburi and Phetchabun, as well as at several attractions in Bangkok. It will culminate in eco-friendly fireworks, made of Thai sticky rice >>
NEW 18 Nov: The State Railway of Thailand has launched an online ticketing service called D-Ticket >>
NEW 18 Nov: Nok Air has reported losses of 3,936 million THB in Q3, with revenue down 47.7% YoY >>
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NEW 18 Nov: The Thai government’s COVID-19 task force has approve the extension of the state of emergency until 15 Jan >>
NEW 18 Nov: The PATA Thailand chapter is calling for a new, strong leader for the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) in the upcoming elections >>
NEW 18 Nov: The TAT has redesigned its Thailand Muslim Friend app, adding 110 new restaurants, 70 new mosques and 75 new hotels >>
NEW 17 Nov: At least 18 people were hurt in protests in Bangkok, as police fired tear gas and water cannons at protestors >>
NEW 17 Nov: AirAsia has said that its domestic sales in Thailand has reached 93% of pre-pandemic levels >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Kasikorn Research Center projects that 77.3% of Thai tourists will make domestic trips in Q4, whilst the TAT’s social listening report for 1-10 Nov has found that Chiang Mai and Phuket are the most mentioned destinations on social media >>
NEW 17 Nov: The TAT are calling to improve the domestic tourism stimulus program, extending it from 10 nights’ subsidy to 15, and that the 40% discount on flights be applied at the point of sale, rather than having to be claimed back >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Southeast Asia Hotel Investors’ Summit will take place in Bangkok on 1-2 Dec in a physical event >>
NEW 17 Nov: The Thai economy shrunk by 6.4% in Q3 YoY, with full-year contraction forecast at 6%, an improvement vs the -7.5% original prediction >>
NEW 16 Nov: Bangkok Airways have cut their fares from Bangkok – Samui to just 2,000 THB one-way in the hope to revive bookings to the island – last year, fares were averaging 4,500 THB >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Tourism and Sports Ministry held a brainstorming session with hoteliers to get updates from the tourism industry as well as plan recovery solutions for a 2-year revival plan, “Thailand Tourism Year”, or as the TAT has dubbed it, the “Phoenix Initative”. The Thai Transportation Operations Association has also called for the government to speed up its process to allow tour operators to take part in the domestic stimulus program, as fixed costs mean that they do not have sufficient income, and only 3-5% of tour bus operators can access soft loans >>
NEW 16 Nov: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) believe that 2 million tourism workers could be unemployed if foreign tourists do not return in high numbers to Thailand. They stated that 150,000 workers in tour businesses have already been laid off, but just 10% of those is permanent so far >>
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NEW 16 Nov: The TAT is looking for more niche markets for Thai tourists, after seeing the success of the Thai Airways’ spiritual-themed flight, including pilgrimage tours around the country for singles who want to pray for marriage. They are also looking to pilot river cruises for single tourists with recreational activities to Ayutthaya in the build up to Valentine’s Day. They are also looking at wellness, and have confirmed their Amazing Thailand Marathon for Mar, and stargazing tours during the cool season to Khao Yai and Chiang Mai >>
14 Nov: There are now at least 10 hotels up for sale in Ao Nang, Krabi, including 3- 5* hotels. A report by Sanook News estimates that just 10% of businesses are open still >>
14 Nov: Thai protestors climbed the Democracy Monument in Thailand and hung up a giant banner with anti-government slogans written on it. Several thousand attended the demonstrations on Saturday >>
14 Nov: Singha Park is partnering with the TAT and Chiang Rai Province to organise 4 events to help domestic tourism, including a Farm Festival, Northern Lights Countdown Festival, Village of Illumination Festival and the Singha Park Chiangrai Valentine’s Balloon Fiesta 2021 >>
13 Nov: 235 people have been placed under quarantine after having contact with a Korean soldier who tested positive for COVID-19 on his return home >>
13 Nov: Bangkok Airways will open 3 new routes: Bangkok – Mae Sot, Bangkok – Hat Yai and Bangkok – Khon Kaen >>
13 Nov: Investments into Thai sovereign debt have increased to the highest in 17 months in Nov, after positive news about the Pfizer vaccine >>
12 Nov: The Tourism Minister has warned of a slowdown in local demand with a struggling economy if a plan to reopen to tourists in 2021 isn’t put into place. Demand from locals is at just 40% of 2019 levels, despite an increase. "We have a precarious year for domestic tourism waiting for us in 2021, with the number of trips and receipts possibly going down to 15% of 2019." He also said that “big things” shouldn’t be expected from the STV, but that it can help to prepare locals for international arrivals. He noted that 50% of tourism-related businesses will “permanently close if they cannot receive any effective measures from the government until the middle of next year” >>
12 Nov: The Thai economy has passed its lowest point and is expected to contract less than expected, the National Economic and Social Development Council have said >>
11 Nov: Road toll fees will be waived over the long weekend holidays from 19-22 Nov and 10-13 Dec >>
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11 Nov: The first e-ferry was officially launched in Phuket. They will eventually run 10 routes >>
11 Nov: TripAdvisor has now put a special notice on the Koh Chang Sea View’s page: “This hotel or individuals associated with this hotel filed criminal charges against a Tripadvisor user in relation to the traveler writing and posting online reviews. The reviewer spent time in jail as a result.” >>
10 Nov: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is launching a video campaign, Trailblazer Thailand, to showcase Thailand’s lesser-known destinations, especially luxury experiences and community-based tourism >>
10 Nov: As of 8 Nov, the We Travel Together campaign had 2,275,361 accommodation bookings and 1,828,842 air tickets redeemed. There will also be extra public holidays on 19 and 20 Nov, creating a 4-day long weekend, and 10-13 Dec will also be a 4-day long weekend >>
10 Nov: The 10th Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2021 will take place as a physical event in Bangkok on 18 Jan >>
10 Nov: The TAT have won the ‘Most Proactive Tourist Board Initiative’ in the Elegant Resorts Awards 2020, particularly due to the strong B2C and B2B campaigns it has run in the UK >>
10 Nov: Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, Bangkok, will get a makeover in Jan, with more orderly and environmentally friendly food vendor stands >>
10 Nov: The Thai army chief has ruled out the possibility of a military coup to end the protests >>
10 Nov: A new wellness hospital and resort development, Natai Medical Center and Resort, is being planned in Phangnga, projected to cost 3.5 billion THB in total >>
9 Nov: The Thai Hotels Association has said that 70-80% of 14,000 registered hotels have reopened, but many are not back to full operations. Nearly all hotel operators are not at a break-even point, and are unable to repay debts or interest due. The President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has said that 90% of inbound operators of 10,000 companies are still closed – if inbound tourism is not reopened by Q1 2021, they expect 50% to close permanently >>
9 Nov: One new local case has been detected in Krabi whose origin cannot be traced >>
9 Nov: A new 90% accurate COVID-19 test kit has been unveiled by the Department of Medical Sciences, which will cost just over 100 THB per kit, compared to imported 300-500 THB kits >>
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9 Nov: The PM is urging his advisory team to finish a proposal to rebuild Phuket’s tourism industry. Phuket once employed 170,000-180,000 tourism workers, but now supports just 80,000. He also instructed the Labour Ministry to consider giving 7,500 THB/ month to tourism workers for 12 months to help keep their employees nationwide. The Phuket Tourism Association forecasts that Phuket may lose 200-320 billion THB in tourism revenue in 2021. From Jan-Oct, it had 150 billion THB in revenue, a drop of 80% YoY >>
9 Nov: Thai religious tourism has fallen in 2020, with 43.9% of respondents in a survey saying that they travelled less often to religious venues vs 2019. The survey estimated that the annual revenue for religious tourism was around 10.8 billion THB/ year >>
9 Nov: Police have admitted that teargas was used on protestors during their 16 Oct demonstration >>
8 Nov: Protestors demonstrated in Bangkok again on 8 Nov, this time carrying letters for the king. The protestors have been warned not to hold public gatherings within 150m of the Grand Palace >>
7 Nov: Half of the 800 Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) members are temporarily closed, and those which are open have switched focus to domestic travel to survive >>
7 Nov: The Frenchwoman who tested positive for COVID-19 in Koh Samui likely contracted the virus from hotel food trays, as she had similar strains to those in neighbouring rooms at her quarantine hotel >>
6 Nov: Thai Vietjet has launched its inaugurual flight from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to Surat Thani. It also plans to launch flights to Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat >>
6 Nov: Thai AirAsia is cutting airfares to encourage domestic travel, with up to 30% off in a special campaign >>
6 Nov: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are developing 3 scenic routes for tourism in southern, central and northeast Thailand, including the “Thailand Riviera” route. They aim to create these networks of routes to improve Thailand’s tourism competitiveness, with completion of some of the routes expected by 2023 >>
6 Nov: The TAT are holding the “Expat Festive Deal 2020” travel fair in Bangkok from 20-22 Nov >>
6 Nov: The Thai PM has said that he would happy to have a better person replace him as PM of Thailand >>
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6 Nov: A new terminal at Khon Kaen airport is set to open in Apr 2021 >>
5 Nov: The first batch of Chinese tourists under the STV have now completed their quarantine and will now tour the country >>
5 Nov: The inaugural “Glow Fest Krabi” festival will take place on 14 Nov at Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort >>
5 Nov: The Thai government has approved the expansion and extension of loan plans for SMEs, raising the credit limit to 100 million THB from 20 million THB. Qualification requirements will also be eased, to make it easier for tourism SMEs to access funding >>
5 Nov: Pattaya is planning 5 events aimed at domestic tourism in Nov >>
4 Nov: Nok Airlines has received court approval to start a debt rehabilitation process >>
4 Nov: Maya Bay may reopen to tourists next year, but experts still need to be consulted on its impact to the environment. A maximum of 350 people would be allowed to visit daily >>
4 Nov: The Phuket Tourism Association has said that COVID-19 has cut 200-300 million THB from the local economy, as from Jan-Oct it earned only 150 billion THB >>
4 Nov: Thailand airlines are grateful for the extension of the tax cut for jet fuel. Thai AirAsia have said that the domestic airfares are already cheap, and so would need to discuss with the government if asked to reduce fares further. Likewise, Thai Lion Air are amenable to requests to lower the fare, but that the current airfare prices reflect the true cost – previously they had been driven down by competition. Thai Lion Air have said that their average load factor is now 75%, but it is unpredictable >>
4 Nov: The Tourism Ministry is targeting 10 million domestic trips per month during high season – it reached 8.5 million in Sep >>
4 Nov: The TTAA welcomes the new expansion of credit for tourism businesses, but has warned that they must still be flexible in the reference regulations such as requiring collateral, as that would limit the number of operators who could avail of the scheme >>
3 Nov: The Thai cabinet will consider rescue packages for southern Thai businesses heavily impacted, including soft loans for airlines and tourism companies. The Labour Minister also said they would seek a 1.5 billion THB fund to hire unemployed people in the Andaman coastal provinces. The Phuket government proposed that the We Travel Together domestic stimulus package should be
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extended until 31 Dec 2021, and weekend flights from Bangkok should be increased >>
3 Nov: The Thai PM has stressed that Phuket and Koh Samui’s tourism economy should be rebuilt. 2 international airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways, both officially landed in Phuket, carrying STV tourists, although the number and nationality were not revealed. They are scheduled to operate on a semi- commercial basis twice a week >>
3 Nov: The Thai government has approved a tax cut on jet fuel from 4.726 THB to 0.20 THB, effective 3 Nov until 30 Apr 2021 , to help airlines reduce costs >>
2 Nov: 20-30% of Hua Hin’s tourism businesses have not yet reopened. Hua Hin is looking to promote itself as not only a weekend destination, but offer community- based tourism as an add-on to MICE >>
2 Nov: More new hotels have opened or are set to open in Thailand, including the Banyan Tree Krabi, The Gems Mining Pool Villas Pattaya and the Yoo Beach Club and the Yoo2 Hotel in Pattaya >>
1 Nov: Marriott International has signed a contract to add 4 new properties in Thailand, including Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Thailand's first JW Marriott Marquis hotel in Bangkok and two Autograph Collection hotels >>
1 Nov: Wiang Kum Kan archaeological site in Chiang Mai will host new activities twice a month, with a campaign that offers information and incentives to travel through the area >>
31 Oct: The Bank of Thailand have revealed that the economy improved in Q3, with long holidays and government spending >>
31 Oct: Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport’s terminal extension is now 90% complete, and set to open in 2022. It will increase the airport’s capacity by 15 million to 60 million pax per year. A third runway is also under construction, and will be completed in 2023, allowing 90 million pax/ year >>
31 Oct: The PM will visit Phuket to meet with tourism operators, as well as hold a Cabinet retreat >>
31 Oct: The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has said that many hotels are reluctant to apply for Alternative Local State Quarantine (ALSQ) status due to uncertainty, different provincial health regulations and inbound tourists only allowed to fly directly to destinations. Those hotels which are ALQ have seen minimal profit as there are extra costs involved such as mandatory tests >>
30 Oct: Bangkok Airways has launched the Bangkok Airways Elite Card, which allows members unlimited travel on domestic flights in 2021 for 100,000 THB >>
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30 Oct: The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) predicts that a target of 250 billion THB from domestic tourism could be reached, and if the political situation stablished, potentially further revenue as people who would usually travel at the year-end may travel domestically instead. Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are all top of the list for Bangkok holidaymakers >>
30 Oct: The Loy Krathong festival is forecast to generate only 9.4 billion THB, the lowest revenue for 9 years. A survey showed that 36.3% said they would not join the festival due to the economy, political demonstrations and COVID-19 >>
30 Oct: A study has put Phuket at the top of its list of cheapest travel destinations, with a 1-night hotel stay less than $30 USD. It was also 5th in a list of the top destinations which have had the largest price drops between 2020 and 2019 – Bangkok was 4th >>
30 Oct: Tests have shown that a Frenchwoman who contracted COVID-19 in Koh Samui did not become infected at the quarantine facility >>
30 Oct: Bangkok World, a new retail and entertainment project, will delay its opening to 2022 due to the pandemic >>
30 Oct: The TAT will allow unlicensed hotels which have taxpayer identification to be part of the We Travel Together domestic stimulus, as only 1.9 million out of 5 million room nights have been booked, and 100,000 air tickets out of 2 million. The TAT is also talking to OTAs such as Agoda, Traveloka and Ascend Travel to sell tour packages on their sites without charging tour operators a commission fee. They would also be able to buy air tickets with instant discounts >>
29 Oct: Bangkok Airways will launch its flights between Krabi and Bangkok from 1 Nov >>
29 Oct: Koh Phangan was voted the third best island in Asia by the readers’ choice awards from the Conde Nast Traveler >>
29 Oct: The cabinet has approved a 66.68 million THB project by the Tourism and Sports Ministry to organise training for 12,000 tourism workers, a 19.12 million THB project to upgrade sand dunes in Chumphon to become an ecotourism destination and a 4 million THB project to upgrade the service quality of tourism entrepreneurs in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong >>
28 Oct: Phuket will ask the government for 2.9 billion THB to build a health tourism centre >>
28 Oct: The Thai PM has said that he will not resign, but will form a working group to discuss solutions with the demonstrators >>
28 Oct: The emergency decree has been extended until 30 Nov >>
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28 Oct: Thailand and China have signed a 50.63 billion THB contract to begin construction of a high-speed railway between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima >>
28 Oct: Thailand may focus on building up its tourism arrivals from China, with the TAT forecasting a rebound of 7.45 million in 2021, assuming travel restrictions are relaxed. They anticipate a high period could be July, after the Chinese school holidays start, and international travel may be permitted by then. They will also focus more on millennials, as they believe that this group will be the first to take outbound trips as they are less concerned about health risks >>
27 Oct: Ratchaphruek Hospital has been awarded the Global Healthcare Accreditation's Certification of Conformance with COVID-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs >>
26 Oct: The Six Senses Ko Yao Noi and the Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism in Thailand (PHIST) both won awards in the HICAP 2020 Sustainable Hotel Awards >>
26 Oct: 20,000-30,000 pax visited Trat over the long weekend, with an estimated hundreds of millions of THB generated, with hotels and resorts seeing 90% bookings >>
26 Oct: AirAsia Thailand operated 96% of its pre-COVID capacity in Sep, up 59% from Jul. In Q3, it carried 1.8 million pax with a load factor of 65%. It plans to exceed its pre-COVID domestic levels by the end of Q4 >>
25 Oct: 5,526 tourists climbed Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain, on Saturday of the long weekend >>
24 Oct: Pattaya saw a good number of visitors on the first of 2 consecutive long weekends, with hotel bookings hitting the 50% levels this weekend >>
24 Oct: Thailand’s pro-democracy protests called for the resignation of the PM by 10pm on 24 Oct, but after calls went unmet, are calling for a new protest outside the German Embassy in Bangkok on 26 Oct >>
24 Oct: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has called for all government agencies to work closely with one another to avoid misunderstandings >>
23 Oct: Tourism business closures have doubled because of COVID-19, an auditing firm has estimated >>
23 Oct: A French woman on Koh Samui has tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving on 30 Sep, and undergoing a 14-day quarantine, where she tested negative. Authorities say that this could be a locally transmitted case >>
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23 Oct: Bangkok Airways are resuming more local routes, including Samui-Phuket, Phuket-Hat Yai and Phuket-Pattaya/Rayong (U-Tapao) >>
22 Oct: The number of international arrivals from Jan-Sep has dropped 77.3% YoY, and revenue dropped 77% YoY. Overall tourism receipts are down 70.6% YoY, whilst domestic tourism trips dropped 54.7% YoY to 52.7 million trips. Sep’s domestic trip numbers were the highest since the outbreak, at 8.58 million, but are still down 35% YoY. The tourism minister expects that the number of domestic trips will reach 9-10 million in high season due to the extended stimulus and better weather. Overall hotel occupancy in Sep remained at 27.9% and domestic air flight volume was 16,229 in Sep >>
22 Oct: No international tourism arrivals were announced for Sep in Thailand >>
21 Oct: The Bank of Thailand has estimated that tourism-related income in 2020 has fallen by 1.6 trillion THB, equivalent to 10% of GDP. They predict that GDP will return to pre-pandemic levels in Q3 2022 >>
21 Oct: The extension of the nationwide state of emergency until 30 Nov has been approved by the CCSA, and is waiting approval by the cabinet next week >>
21 Oct: The Thai Hotels Association (THA) will offer expats a 1,000 THB discount on 5,000 room nights under the Expat Travel Bonus scheme. It is also calling for the government to move its domestic stimulus program onto e-commerce platforms such as Lazada or Shopee >>
21 Oct: An island between Phi Phi and Krabi mainland has had a large part collapse into the sea, damaging the coral >>
21 Oct: The TAT said that the We Travel Together domestic stimulus scheme has generated 1.6 million room nights and 4.7 billion THB. They are planning to provide an easier way to redeem bookings of 3.4 million available rooms by 31 Jan, and have met global hotel operators to discuss plans >>
21 Oct: The TAT has rolled out its 2021 Tourism Plan which will target healthy tourists. They will highlight natural beauty, cultural sites and authentic Thai food. They expect Thai people to make 120 million domestic trips and spend 800 billion THB. For inbound tourism, they expect 20 million visitors, generating 1.5 trillion THB >>
21 Oct: Khao San Road is holding a fair from 30-31 Oct, to showcase the new look and promote “Modern Thainess” >>
20 Oct: The government will allocate as much as 4 billion THB to develop Phuket’s medical tourism industry into a world-class hub >>
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20 Oct: The Tourism Council of Thailand are urging the government to engage with protestors without triggering a coup, as that would worsen the economy and affect the country's image on the global stage.” A prolonged dispute could hurt tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said that “it is too early to assess the impact on tourism as mass gatherings have occurred recently and there has been no violence.” >>
20 Oct: The Bank of Thailand has approved the extension of its 500 billion THB soft loan scheme by 6 months, as well as allowing companies listed on the Market for Alternative Investment to apply, something which affected SMEs >>
19 Oct: Tour operators in Samui are urging the government to help make flights and ferries cheaper for tourists to the island >>
18 Oct: An additional 3 local transmitted cases in Mae Sot have been detected, the family members of the Myanmar nationals who tested positive on 17 Oct >>
17 Oct: The Bank of Thailand extended its debt moratorium until 30 Jun 2021 fir SMEs with credit lines below 100 million THB >>
17 Oct: The first two locally transmitted cases in more than one month have been reported in 2 Myanmar nationals living near the Myanmar border >>
17 Oct: Thousands of protestors gathered in Bangkok on 17 Oct after a police crackdown on 16 Oct, where police advanced into crowds with shields and batons. It was the 4th consecutive day of mass protests >>
17 Oct: 38 flights at Chiang Mai International Airport will be rescheduled or cancelled to avoid accidents with sky lanterns during the Yi Peng Festival >>
16 Oct: The Thai cabinet has confirmed a state of emergency in Bangkok for one month from 15 Oct >>
15 Oct: Thai AirAsia has filed an extra 3 domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi Airport – Hat Yai, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Nan from the end of Oct >>
15 Oct: Phitsanulok has called Phu Thap Si in Ban Nam Chuang as “Sapa Muang Thai” to promote the village as a tourist attraction >>
15 Oct: Thai Airbnb hosts and guests will follow Airbnb COVID-19 Safety Practices, as well as a5-step enhanced cleaning process, something which the Department of Health in Thailand has said “go above and beyond” Thailand’s standards >>
15 Oct: The Thai government banned gatherings of 5 or more people and the publication of online news or messages which could harm national security in an emergency decree >>
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14 Oct: Only 35% of Chiang Mai’s hotels are opened, according to the Tourism Association of Chiang Mai, whilst 1,000 tour guides are unemployed >>
13 Oct: A new destination video launched by Skål Samui has been launched to encourage tourism to Koh Samui >>
13 Oct: 192 billion THB is expected to be generated for the Thai economy thanks to the Return on Good Shopping scheme, the co-pay scheme and an additional living allowance for state welfare cardholders >>
13 Oct: The new Finance Minister has included assisting tourism businesses as one of his four criteria to manage the Thai economy, admitting that measures aiming to firm up financial liquidity had not been effective for tourism businesses. He has also asked the Bank of Thailand about the soft loans requested by airlines >>
12 Oct: Thai Vietjet is planning to increase its employees by an additional 300 staff by YE, in anticipation of Thailand reopening to international tourists and travel corridors being established >>
12 Oct: According to a Sep government survey, 27% of Thai travellers travelled upcountry from Jul-Sep, 56% of which was for sightseeing and 44% for visiting family. As for Oct, 47.7% said they have no plans to visit upcountry. Top worries for the travellers included a 2nd COVID wave, increasing consumer prices and increasing household debt >>
12 Oct: The TAT predicts that tourism could generate 1.5 trillion THB in 2021 in a best-case scenario, whilst worst-case scenarios could see 700 billion THB. Domestic tourism would count for 400-774 billion THB of the amount, and they aim to generate 126 million trips. International tourism revenue could vary from 300 billion – 1.5 trillion THB, depending on the global situation >>
12 Oct: 62 million domestic trips have been taken from Jan-Aug, making the TAT confident that a target of 80-100 million trips is feasible by YE. The Tourism Council of Thailand predicts just 50,000 foreign arrivals in Q4 2020, down 99.5% YoY. The YE international tourists arrival number is likely to be 6.74 million >>
10 Oct: Mu Koh Similan National Park will open from 15 Oct to tourism. The island took tourism entrepreneurs and the press to visit the islands ahead of the opening >>
10 Oct: Bangkok will open 30 public parks for those celebrating the Loy Krathong festival >>
10 Oct: Chiang Mai has lost 100 billion THB in tourism revenue. The Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a project to attract domestic tourists to the city and neighbouring provinces, hoping to generate 70 billion THB. They will also
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target medical tourists and are preparing the Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) for the STV tourists >>
10 Oct: The Tourism Minister is planning to include tour operators into the domestic stimulus package by asking them to arrange weekday tour packages for 55-75 years old passengers. The tourists would be entitled to a 40% subsidy, capped at 5,000 THB/ pax in Nov >>
9 Oct: Khao Yai National Park has temporarily closed after access to it has been blocked by mudslides and trees after unprecedented rain >>
9 Oct: Minor International have warned that they may need to cut more jobs and close recently reopened properties, as they posted their biggest quarterly loss for Q2. 83% of the hotel chain’s 526 hotels are currently operating, and they hope to increase that to 90% by YE. The chairman of the company said that he believed that if China does not allow its tourists to visit Thailand soon, he believes the Thai economy is “toast” >>
9 Oct: Luxury hotels which have recently opened in Bangkok during the pandemic are hoping to attract long-stay visitors. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have said that they have around 800-1,000 Chinese tourists prepared to fly in on the STV on private jets during phase 1 of reopening >>
9 Oct: The Thai consumer confidence dropped in Sep, for the first time in 5 months >>
9 Oct: Thai Airways will keep Thai Smile Airways, and will use it to operate short international flights with “travel bubble” countries >>
9 Oct: Phuket International Airport is expecting to see at least 15,000 domestic tourists/ day during its vegetarian festival from 16-25 Oct, generating around 200 million THB. They expect 90 domestic flights/ day, compared to the weekend’s daily average of 80 and weekdays of 70. The airport has had a 48% drop YoY in the number of flights, around 9 million pax >>
9 Oct: The American being sued over negative hotel reviews will issue an apology to the hotel, tourism board and explain to TripAdvisor his defamation complaint. The hotel will then withdraw the defamation complaint >>
9 Oct: The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) now predict that the Thai economy will shrink by -8 to -10% this year, vs its previous forecast of -12% >>
8 Oct: The government’s We Travel Together program and the Encouragement domestic tourism stimulus program has been extended to 31 Jan 2021 >>
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8 Oct: The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (Cesa) approved the proposal to give taxpayers income tax deductions of up to 30,000 THB for products and services with 7% VAT, to boost consumption. This will run from 23 Oct – 31 Dec. Accommodation and air tickets will be excluded from the program. They also approved a change to the domestic tourism stimulus package, which will allow them to use e-vouchers to pay for food, entrance fees at tourist attractions. More health workers will also be included in the health workers tourism program >>
8 Oct: Phuket International Airport now has COVID-19 mobile testing units stationed at the airport >>
8 Oct: TAT have won the bid to hold the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) 2021 from 20-22 Oct 2021, in Phuket >>
8 Oct: The government is still considering whether to limit international tourists to particular beaches or closed off areas >>
8 Oct: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) are planning future international events whilst it waits for restrictions to be loosened, aiming to secure 40 billion THB in 2020. Around 360 Chinese companies have enquired about MICE groups in Thailand from Apr 2021 onwards. International MICE visitors would be allowed to travel in groups of maximum 10 pax, and would be monitored by liaisons. TCEB is also planning for 2022-2025, considering at least 15 events. MICE tourism has dropped by 60% YoY in 2020 >>
8 Oct: Thailand will face a steep economic decline if it does not improve tourism, Fitch Ratings has said >>
7 Oct: Thai Smile will connect to Sabre’s GDS platform to use the latter’s travel marketplace and reach more worldwide partners >>
7 Oct: The TAT has launched a Workation Thailand project, which will encourage the government and private sector to have staff work, meet and party in a new place. The aim is to stimulate domestic tourism >>
7 Oct: Bangkok’s central train station opening has been delayed until 31 Jul 2021 >>
7 Oct: Chonburi has had more bookings through the domestic tourism stimulus than any other province, with Bangkok coming in 2nd >>
7 Oct: Thai Vietjet inaugurated its first Bangkok – Ubon Ratchathani flight on 6 Oct >>
6 Oct: Agoda has shown that the top destinations for Thais are Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Phuket. Secondary tier cities such as Nakhon Si
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Thammarat, Nakhon Nayok, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Chanthaburi are becoming more popular, too >>
5 Oct: A special travel fair aimed at expats will be held from 10-11 Oct in Bangkok, to encourage the expat community to book travel >>
5 Oct: Bangkok Airways has resumed its Bangkok – Trat flight >>
3 Oct: A plan to assist micro enterprises with an SME fund is unlikely to come to fruition, as there is not enough liquidity in place >>
3 Oct: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have launched a “new normal” tour on a special train from Bangkok to Hua Hin >>
2 Oct: Airlines are still waiting for a decision on the soft loans which were requested over 6 months ago after the deputy PM hinted that they might not receive support. Thai AirAsia has said that payroll is tough to manage alone, but that they will not let go of employees until they know the financial situation. The Deputy PM has said that airlines should try to negotiate with creditors and not use soft loans to repay debt. Thai Lion Air has also stated that if the government does not approve the soft loans, then they will have to reduce costs as “domestic demand is growing too slowly” >>
2 Oct: A YouGov poll has found that 24% of Thais felt insecure about their employment, vs just 4% pre-COVID >>
2 Oct: Bangkok Airways is offering 10-20% off its standard fares for senior citizens, disabled travellers, undergrads, travel-related professionals and government officials >>
2 Oct: Thai Airways is considering franchising its stalls selling dough fritters, as it has earned the company nearly 10 million THB/ month >>
2 Oct: Thailand is testing its first seaplane, hoping to be able to commercially produce it >>
2 Oct: Airports in Thailand will be enhanced for when travel comes back in 2025. The deputy transport minister said that aviation accounts for 15.5% of GDP and employs 4.3 million in Thailand. Unemployment rate of pilots is currently at 15% >>
2 Oct: 10% of Thailand’s tourism business are closed, with 540,000 workers made redundant, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). Operators in the southern and central regions are the worst affected, relying the most on foreigners. 400,000 of those were in Q3, and even those companies which are open have reduced staff by 30%. They predict the number to rise to 1 million by
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the year end, and hope that the government will extend repayment suspensions, as tourism companies collectively owe 100 billion THB >>
1 Oct: The Similan Island National Park will reopen from 15 Oct. It will not allow overnight visits yet, but staying on a tour boat overnight is possible >>
1 Oct: The PM has promised to protect the biodiversity of Thailand, encouraging sustainability >>
1 Oct: The head of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association welcomes the introduction of the STV, but says that it won’t have any significant impact on the tourism industry >>
1 Oct: A private equity trust which will target the acquisition of hotels and resorts in Thailand has been launched >>
1 Oct: Chonburi’s annual water buffalo racing went ahead >>
1 Oct: The Bank of Thailand expects positive growth in Q2, assuming that government spending and the STV scheme will stimulate the economy >>
1 Oct: The hotel on Koh Chang Trat who was pursuing a defamation suit against an American who wrote a negative review on TripAdvisor is now negotiating a settlement >>
1 Oct: Khao San Road will reopen at the end of Oct, with more vendors and events to attract local visitors >>
30 Sep: The government is looking at more stimulus measures to encourage spending amongst the middle and high income earners, and also plans to extend the We Travel Together scheme until the end of the year. As of 29 Sep, the scheme has generated 1.5 million rooms registered out of a targeted 5 million >>
30 Sep: The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) expects the government to limit the number of foreigners to beaches and national parks, whilst they do not expect a full reopening of the country to happen until vaccines are accessible >>
30 Sep: 23 hotels in Koh Samui have been proposed as alternative local state quarantines (ALSQ), with the majority expected to be accepted. Many of the properties are pool villas, and will be a distance away from main streets. The Thai Hotel Association – Southern Chapter East Coast said that 1,000 CCTV cameras will be installed around the island >>
30 Sep: The Tourism Council of Thailand expects Thailand to have 50,000 international tourists in Q4, down 99.5% YoY, whilst tourism receipts would be 4.5 billion THB, down 99%. Its FY forecast is 6.74 million tourists, down 83% YoY. Its
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2021 forecast is 20 million foreign tourists, but if 14-day quarantines remain with no vaccine, that could be in the hundreds of thousands only >>
30 Sep: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), its Trang office and local network are preparing for high-season for marine tourism in Oct. They will launch a new kayak route. Hotel operators in the region have already recorded forward bookings at 70% from Oct to Dec >>
30 Sep: Phuket must rebrand itself away from its expensive image to attract tourism. Siam Commercial Bank has launched a 3-day bootcamp to train local entrepreneurs to rebrand Phuket’s tourism business. It will encourage business owners to lower costs, as well as target digital platforms >>
30 Sep: The Zoological Park Organization will fully reopen its zoos from 1 Oct >>
30 Sep: The Thai Hotels Association has reminded its members that it must accept feedback and urged for proactive communication between hoteliers and review platforms >>
29 Sep: Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from Oct 2019-Aug 2020 has seen a drop of 42.18% in flights, and a 50% drop in passengers >>
28 Sep: Phuket is planning to hold a travel festival targeting domestic travellers, including a food festival >>
28 Sep: Oxford Economics don’t envisage tourism spending in Thailand to recover to 2019 levels until 2024, creating a THB4.8 trillion loss in spending >>
28 Sep: Thai Vietjet is launching a “Deluxe” product, which will include 7kg carry- on and 20kh of checked in baggage, as well as priority check-in and seat selection >>
28 Sep: Thailand’s Emergency Decree has been extended from 1-31 Oct >>
28 Sep: Phitsanulok province is undergoing a process to become a MICE city by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and use business events to stimulate the economy. The government is also looking at upgrading Phitsanulok Airport into an international airport, and position it as a wellness destination >>
27 Sep: Thai AirAsia has inaugurated its first flights to 4 domestic destinations from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport >>
27 Sep: Phuket has set up a 5T scheme for foreign tourists: target, testing, tracing, treating and trusting. A lab has been installed at Phuket airport, and will initially be capable of handling 96 people at a time for testing, with results within 6 hours >>
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27 Sep: The Job Expo 2020 opened on 26 Sep, promising more than a million job vacancies. The government has also created a recruitment platform, expecting 200,000 private positions and 400,000 government ones to be posted >>
27 Sep: Anti-government protests may escalate next month, as the charter rewrite vote had been delayed by the government >>
26 Sep: An American is being sued by a Thai resort over a negative review on TripAdvisor – if found guilty, he could face jail for up to 2 years >>
26 Sep: Many visitors have rushed to Khao Nor mountain in Nakhon Sawan province, hoping to spot the giant “monkey king” >>
26 Sep: The Thai Chamber of Commerce is urging the government to grant amnesty for 400,000 tourists whose visas are set to expire, as it causing chaos >>
26 Sep: Thai Airways are going through planning approval for flights to nowhere, under the “Thai Flying Experience & Beyond”. They would sell 3 packages and it would cost approx. 5,000 THB pax >>
26 Sep: The Chonburi Buffalo racing festival will go ahead from 28 Sep – 4 Oct >>
25 Sep: PTT, the national oil and gas conglomerate, will give 18 million THB to its staff in 5,000 THB travel subsidies, to boost tourism during Q4. Conditions would include staying at destinations at least 300km away from employees’ homes >>
25 Sep: The government expects Thailand’s economy to return to normal within 2 years >>
25 Sep: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau is testing hybrid models for events, with a pilot full-day event with 1,240 delegates attending physically, 4,778 virtually >>
25 Sep: The Movenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok and Bangkok Hospital have launched exclusive quarantine facilities in the hotel’s Presidential Suite or Royal Suite >>
25 Sep: Airports of Thailand are extending their exemption of fees, including office rental, terminal service fees and fixed monthly concession fees until 31 Mar 2022. The current exemption was due to expire on 31 Dec. airlines will also qualify for a 50% reduction in landing charges and a 50% reduction in parking is they are still operating flights on their domestic and international routes >>
25 Sep: The number of new businesses has continued to fall in Aug, down 7% YoY >>
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25 Sep: The Tourism Council of Thailand estimate that Thailand could hit 60 million arrivals by 2023, contributing 25% of GDP, once global tourism returns to normal >>
24 Sep: The Phuket vegetarian festival will go ahead on 17-25 Oct >>
24 Sep: Pattaya tourism businesses applauded the introduction of 2 new public holidays, saying that the Songkran holiday weekend on 4-7 Sep had given them a big boost >>
24 Sep: Dusit Thani are preserving cash flow to deal with uncertainties, with the best-case scenario that leisure tourists will be allowed into Thailand by YE. They estimate the most likely is that leisure tourists will increase by mid-2021 >>
24 Sep: AirAsia has said that their flights in Malaysia and Thailand are reaching 60% and 80% pre-COVID capacity respectively. Tony Fernandes forecasts that business, intercontinental and first-class travel will take longer to bounce back, but that short-haul travel is “proven already” >>
24 Sep: Only 30.4% of Phuket’s businesses are open as usual, with 66.8% of tourism businesses “closed temporarily” and 2.8% closed permanently. The Phuket governor expects that this number will increase to 70% by the end of the month >>
24 Sep: The MICHELIN Guide Thailand will be expanded with 2 new awards, the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, and the MICHELIN Guide Service Award, as well as a new distinction, the MICHELIN Green Star. It is scheduled to be released at the end of 2020 >>
3 Sep: More economic stimulus measures have been approved, with a 50% subsidy for products purchased from street vendors and retailers of 3,000 THB per person. Food coupons used for travel between Mon-Thu worth 900 THB and on Fri-Sun worth 600 THB have also been approved. Graduates will also have 50% of their salaries covered by the government, at a maximum of 7,500 THB/ month from 1 Oct to 30 Sep 2021 >>
1 Sep: Expats will be given a 500 THB discount for domestic travel in Thailand, with a budget of 2 million THB in total, to be registered for at the Expat Travel Deal 2020 fair in Bangkok >>
28 Aug: The PM has agreed to give 24 billion THB in soft loans to Thai airlines, which will be available from Oct and keep the airlines afloat for another year. This was after a meeting with Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, Thai Smile, Thai Lion Air, Thai Viet Jet, Bangkok Airways and Nok Air. The government asked them to maintain staff and have also confirmed that the waivers and reductions of surcharges and aviation fees has been extended until Mar 2022 >>
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20 Aug: The new National Economic and Social Development Council announced subsidies for local tourists, and plan to make jobs for 400,000 new graduates. They will extend their 40% subsidy from five to 10 nights, as only 660,000 of 5 million nights have been booked already. Air ticket subsidies will also be extended to 2,000 THB, and corporate companies will also be able to register to use them as incentives for employees or other business purposes >>
17 Jun: The domestic tourism stimulus packages worth 22.4 billion THB has been approved, including:
1. 2.4 billion THB fund for 1.2 million health volunteers and hospital officials which will subsidise 2,000 THB for a trip of at least 2D1N and must be booked via tour firms, expected to help 13,000 tour firms 2. 18 billion THB fund for 5 million nights at hotel accommodation at 40% of normal room rates (subsidy limited to 3,000 THB/ night up to 5 nights). Other services, such as food, are capped at 600 THB/ room/ night, and must be outside of the traveller’s home province 3. 2 billion THB fund to subsidise domestic flight fares, inter-provincial bus fares and car rental fees for 2 million people. It will pay up to 40% of expenses, limited to 1,000 THB/ tourist >>
31 May: Parliament approved a close to $60 billion USD stimulus package, some of which will be used to boost purchasing power, healthcare readiness and aid to farmers and informal workers >>
27 May: Parliament was urged to approve the biggest stimulus package yet, worth $59.6 billion USD >>
12 May: A plan to spend $12.45 billion USD to create jobs and stimulate the economy has been approved by Thailand’s cabinet >>
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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/thailand/
OUTBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: Thai Airways have confirmed that between 1 Jan – 27 Mar, they will be flying internationally to London, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Sydney, Osaka, Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul >>
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13 Nov: Qatar Airways are planning to resume twice weekly flights to Phuket from 4 Dec >>
12 Nov: Thai Airways International’s Q3 results showed a net loss of 21.5 billion THB ($709 million USD), whilst its Jan-Sep net loss was 49.5 billion THB >>
11 Nov: Thai Airways is auctioning off many in-flight items, as well as planning to lease 3 of its office buildings to generate more cash >>
5 Nov: Thai Airways is selling 34 of its older planes, hoping to sell them by 13 Nov >>
3 Nov: Thai Airways will fly a special flight on 30 Nov for Buddhist passengers who want to chant mantras over 99 sacred sites, part of their new “Magical Flying Experience” campaign >>
31 Oct: 4,977 staff at Thai Airways Intl have applied for voluntary redundancy >>
23 Oct: Thai Airways has prepared a plan for its lessors that includes reductions in fleet size and types of aircraft it operates, as well as cuts for lessors >>
20 Oct: 10 international airlines are selling tickets to Thailand, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Swissair, Austrian Airlines, EVA Air and KLM >>
14 Oct: Singapore Airlines have started selling air tickets from Singapore to Bangkok from 16 Oct >>
12 Oct: Thai Airways has announced it is planning more staff furloughs and offer early retirement to maximise its cash reserves until Apr 2021. 80% of the airline’s staff have already agreed to cut their salaries or take unpaid leave, but their revenue is still not enough to keep the company going in 2021 >>
9 Oct: The Thai Airways International workers’ union is protesting against the appointment of the chairman’s wife to a higher position, saying that it undermines trust >>
7 Oct: Qatar Airways will now carry pax on inbound flights to Bangkok until 31 Oct >>
3 Oct: Thai Airways will launch an economy plus class for passengers from Bangkok to London and Frankfurt from 25 Oct. This class would leave the middle seats empty and have special services like express check-in, extra weight allowance and the same in-flight meal as business class >>
30 Sep: Thai Airways will fly special flights to London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Taipei and Hong Kong in Oct >>
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28 Sep: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Satellite Terminal 1 is now 95% complete, and its transport link to the main terminal should be completed by Apr 2021. It will be able to handle 15 million pax/ year >>
28 Sep: All Nippon Airways will start flights to Singapore and Bangkok in November >>
24 Sep: Thai Airways creditors have been given a deadline of 2 Nov to submit their application for debt repayment. As of 22 Sep, 922 creditors have already applied, with Thai Airways owing them 1.2 billion THB >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/thailand/
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VIETNAM Could lose $23 billion USD in tourism revenue in 2020
TRAVEL Tourists will not be permitted to enter Vietnam. Selected international flights RESTRICTIONS reopened from 15 Sep to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Experts, business managers or highly skilled workers can enter with relevant permissions. Domestic flights are permitted.
LOCKDOWN Businesses, including non-essential ones, reopened. Schools are opened. Face STATUS masks should be worn in public places.
Consumer sentiment Vietnam tourism arrivals % change YoY
32.80%
21.80%
-
68.10%
-
98%
-
99.30% 94.80% 98.90% 98.90% 99.00%
- - - - - Source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Source: YouGOV Flight searches and booking volume for Future flight search for travel to Vietnam travel to Vietnam
Source: Sojern COVID-19 dashboard
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Total number of daily departures
Source: The Airline Flight Demand Tracker, Lufthansa Innovation Hub
TRAVEL BUBBLES & INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
12 Nov: Taiwan has said that it is in travel bubble discussions with Vietnam >>
10 Nov: Laos and Vietnam’s PMs had a discussion in which they agreed that they should further facilitate passenger and cargo flows between the 2 countries, with plans to reopen border gates and resume commercial flights >>
5 Nov: Four round-trip flights per week between Vietnam and Taiwan are set to be launched, with the two sides having reached an agreement with regards to procedures >>
31 Oct: The visa waiver program for those foreigners who entered from 1 March will be extended until 30 Nov >>
30 Oct: Japan will lift its entry ban on travellers from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 1 Nov, but will continue to suspend its visa waiver agreements, meaning that tourists would still not be allowed to travel. Japan has also lowered its travel advisories from Level 2 (advises against all travel) to Level 3 (advises against nonessential travel) >>
29 Oct: Passengers arriving into Vietnam will now be divided into 3 groups, each with different quarantine requirements:
1. Vietnamese citizens or family members of Vietnamese citizens – will undergo centralised quarantine for 14 days 2. Foreigners who are experts, investors, business managers, skilled workers and their family or international students and staying in Vietnam for more than 14 days – quarantined at registered hotels for 7 days, then if test negative on day 6, permitted to quarantine at their residential area for another 7 days 3. Foreign diplomats – quarantined at their houses or residential areas for 14 days. Foreign experts entering for less than 14 days – tested on first day of arrival, and once every 3 days after >>
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29 Oct: Vietnam and Laos have held bilateral talks where they discussed a need to reopen travel between the 2 of them and restart commercial flights, amongst other issues >>
22 Oct: Bamboo Airways has resumed international flights from Hanoi to Taiwan on 20 Oct. It will fly one weekly round trip. It is planning to resume its Hanoi – Seoul route this month with one weekly flight, and its HCMC-Tokyo and Hanoi- Tokyo routes will open in Nov >>
21 Oct: An agreement between Vietnam and Japan for short-term travel (less than 14 days) between the 2 countries will be applicable from 1 Nov, with priority cases exempted from quarantine, provided that they are tested prior to departure, on arrival, provide their itinerary and only travel to work-related locations >>
11 Oct: Japan and Vietnam are soon coming to an agreement to allow short business trips between the 2 countries as early as this month >>
9 Oct: The Ministry of Transport is planning to open 9 more international flights at Hanoi and HCMC, conducted by Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) will consider and license flights based on the cities’ suggestions >>
9 Oct: Foreigners entering Vietnam who want to travel further afield to provinces will be taken there to their quarantine facilities once they land at HCMC >>
7 Oct: Japan will lift its travel advisories for citizens to travel to Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan >>
2 Oct: Singapore has removed quarantine restrictions on travellers arriving from Vietnam, allowing them to make short-term visits. The Singapore Transport Minister has said that their counterparts in Vietnam are considering reciprocating the restrictions for Singaporeans arriving into their countries, but currently they would face quarantine on arrival >>
1 Oct: Foreigners who entered Vietnam from 1 Mar will have their temporary stay permits renewed automatically until 31 Oct >>
30 Sep: The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is making plans for inbound tourists in its 2nd stimulus program, which will focus on year-end festivals, and MICE travellers >>
29 Sep: Direct flights between Vietnam and Taiwan may restart by mid-Oct, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office said on 28 Sep >>
28 Sep: Foreigners who are entering HCMC for less than 14 days and are not quarantined are being tested for COVID-19 upon arrival, and then every 2 days
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after. They are only permitted out from their accommodation to attend meetings and field trips >>
25 Sep: The first commercial international flight into Vietnam arrived in Hanoi from Seoul on 25 Sep after months of hiatus. The flight was a trial to test procedures for receiving international passengers, with around 100 arriving. Flights between the 2 countries will reopen this month, with 2 flights/ week >>
22 Sep: The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has submitted its plans for airlines to bring international pax into the country. There will be 9 inbound flights a week landing at Hanoi and HCMC airports, split between Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air. International carriers allowed to return include Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, China Airline and EVA Air. Airlines must only process bookings for customers who have the details of their quarantine facility, and the host organisation who will receive them. On check-in, they will need to show a negative test result within 3 days of boarding, which must be certified by the local embassy. They must wear face masks, install the contact tracing app Bluezone, and fill out health forms. Entrants are still limited to foreign investors, business executives, experts, highly skilled workers, diplomats, international students – and their family – along with returning Vietnamese and their relatives >>
19 Sep: Vietnam Airlines’ first international commercial flight in 6 months flew from Hanoi to Tokyo on 19 Sep. They will fly 2 more flights from Hanoi to Tokyo on 25 & 30 Sep, and from HCMC to Tokyo on 30 Sep >>
19 Sep: The Vietnamese PM has approved the recommendation to reopen commercial flights to Thailand >>
18 Sep: Foreigners and Vietnamese returning to Vietnam who want to stay in government quarantine facilities would need to pay a minimum of $5.16 USD per day >>
15 Sep: The government has permitted the Transport Ministry to restart commercial international flights to mainland China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan from September 15, followed by Laos, Cambodia from September 22. They have also extended the categories of foreigners allowed entry to include international students and family of Vietnamese citizens >>
11 Sep: Foreigners entering Vietnam on commercial flights will need to undergo centralised quarantine from 5-7 days, and then self-isolate for another 14 days should they test negative. The country expects to reopen commercial flights to Guangzhou, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan from 15 Sep, and Laos and Cambodia from 22 Sep. 20,000 passengers are expected to arrive on these flights each month, including Vietnamese citizens, foreign experts, and investors. Tourists will not be permitted yet. They will need to have a negative certificate prior to
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departure, and will be tested on arrival twice. Foreign passengers will need to pay for all quarantine and testing, as well as install the app Bluezone >>
3 Sep: The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has submitted plans for international flights to be reinstated to Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Cambodia and Laos on 15 Sep. All pax would be quarantined on arrival (at their own cost), with around 5,000 expected to enter a week. Transit passengers would not be allowed into the country. Pax would also need to provide a negative test prior to departure, and be tested on arrival. The CAAV has also asked the Ministry of Health to publish a place of real-time PCR labs, as travellers may also need tests to be able to leave Vietnam >>
INBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: The Vietnam International Travel Mart is underway in Hanoi, with over 10,000 packages on sale >>
NEW 20 Nov: Hanoi has signed 9 cooperation agreements in 40 cities and provinces nationwide, created new routings, organised fam trips and attended promotional fairs nationwide to boost its tourism. Its visitor numbers were 7.27 million from Jan-Oct, down 68.9% >>
NEW 20 Nov: A tourism exhibition which is promoting cultural heritage from across Vietnam was launched in Hanoi >>
NEW 20 Nov: Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces will combine their offerings to create new tours and products, including traditional cultural aspects from the 2 locations. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) reminded the 2 provinces to focus on tourism products for shopping, resorts, healthcare and MICE to increase visitor spending >>
NEW 19 Nov: More than 162 businesses and 120 individuals who contributed to tourism in 2019 were awarded at the Vietnam International Travel Mart >>
NEW 19 Nov: A new report by HP has shown that Vietnam’s SMEs are optimistic that their business will rebound, with 65% believing that they will thrive, and 41% still anticipate growth >>
NEW 19 Nov: 100+ tourism companies have joined Hanoi’s domestic tourism stimulus program, with 346 tours in total. Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways are also supporting the program. It is working towards a goal of a 45% YoY increase in domestic visitors of more than 11 million >>
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NEW 19 Nov: Hoi An reopened its pedestrian zone after a month of being closed due to flooding. Tickets to the ancient town will also be reduced by 50% from 18 Nov to year-end >>
NEW 19 Nov: Hanoi – HCMC was the world’s 2nd busiest air route >>
NEW 19 Nov: New river tours will begin in Can Tho City, to boost tourism >>
NEW 19 Nov: New World Phu Quoc Resort will open on Phu Quoc Island in 2021 >>
NEW 19 Nov: The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) proposes that Vietnam’s tourism should be restructured in a way to ensure sustainable growth of international tourist, as well as diversifying its source markets and stabilising the growth of domestic tourists >>
NEW 19 Nov: The IMF sees Vietnam’s nominal GDP rising to 4th in ASEAN, surpassing Singapore and Malaysia in 2020, with a forecast 1.6% increase >>
NEW 18 Nov: The Mekong Delta provinces have seen a drop in tourists, with Can Tho City down 53% YoY, and Ken Giang down 52% YoY. An Giang has seen a slight increase in numbers recently after the introduction of stimulus programs, and Dong Thap is offering special promotions on handicrafts and specialities for tourists. Can Tho is aiming to achieve 60% of this year’s target >>
NEW 18 Nov: HCMC will hold a street arts festival next year from Apr-Nov, and will be sponsored by the French government. It will include mural painting, a street arts exhibition and international seminars >>
NEW 18 Nov: The HCMC authorities will pay out unemployment benefits of $1.16 million USD to 27,000 workers in “non-essential” sectors, including museums and historical relics >>
NEW 18 Nov: The first private museum in Ha Tinh province has opened, showcasing 4,000 artifacts and rare books >>
NEW 16 Nov: Vietjet will partner with HCMC and the northwest, northeast and central regions to promote tourism development >>
NEW 16 Nov: Long Thanh International Airport is planned to start construction in Dec and be completed by 2025. It is just 40km east of HCMC and expected to take up overflow from HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport >>
NEW 16 Nov: CNBC in the USA is now airing a new advert promoting golf tourism in Vietnam >>
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15 Nov: Storm Vamco hit Vietnam on 15 Nov, injuring at least 5 people and causing infrastructure damage with winds up to 90kmh. 650,000 people have been evacuated before the storm hit to higher ground to minimise the impact >>
13 Nov: More tourism and cultural festivals will take place over the next few weeks, including the Bac Ha Winter Festival in Sapa from 20-22 Nov and a week- long event to allow tourists to admire the wild sunflowers in Chu Dang Ya Commune in the Central Highlands >>
13 Nov: The National Assembly of Vietnam will decide next week whether to approve a $520 million USD rescue package for Vietnam Airlines, with the government underwriting the majority of a capital increase, and soft loans from state lenders. The National Assembly will also decide whether to reduce domestic airlines’ environmental tax by up to 70% for 2021 >>
13 Nov: The Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) has said that Vietnam’s economy could be bigger than Singapore’s by 2029 >>
13 Nov: Vietjet and UPS have created a joint operations venture between Asia and the USA for cargo >>
12 Nov: New rules mean that people without masks will be unable to enter public places in Hanoi, as authorities tighten up rules ahead of its winter >>
12 Nov: Storm Etau claimed the lives of 2 Central Region residents >>
12 Nov: 3 new tourism destinations in Ha Giang, Lung Khuy Cave, the H’mong Village Resort and the Mong ethnic community tourism village have been recognised >>
12 Nov: The Imperial International Hotel College have signed an agreement with the University of Finance and Marketing in HCMC to improve the quality of tourism training >>
12 Nov: A brocade culture festival will be held in Dak Nong Province from 24-29 Nov, along with a convention which will call for more investment in Dak Nong’s tourism >>
11 Nov: Hoi An was submerged under more than a metre of floodwaters from Storm Etau >>
11 Nov: To mark the 10th anniversary of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel being designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, activities will take place from 21-23 Nov >>
10 Nov: The tourism minister has said that Vietnam could lose $23 billion USD in revenue in 2020, with foreign arrivals forecast to fall by 80% >>
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10 Nov: The Ministry of Planning and Investment have said that COVID-19 poses a high risk of bankruptcy to airlines, and without help, thousands of workers may lose their jobs. They have proposed that the government provide a guarantee for loans to the airlines, as well as allowing the State Capital Investment Corporation to invest >>
10 Nov: Some tourist attractions in Hanoi have installed QR codes to allow tourists to learn more about the monuments. By the end of 2020, 25 sites will have the codes installed >>
9 Nov: Bamboo Airways have launched the first air route between Danang and Con Dao Island, with 10 round trips per week >>
8 Nov: Vietnam International Travel Mart in Hanoi will also include 6 international booths from South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan (China), Columbia and Peru >>
8 Nov: Hanoi Train street has reopened, albeit without official government approval >>
6 Nov: More hoteliers are now using hotel rooms as offices for lease, something that Savills Vietnam believes can be effective >>
6 Nov: Vietnam plans to continue its containment strategy for COVID-19, rather than rush into procuring vaccines which could be financially risky. The deputy PM also said that they have to accept the pandemic will last until the end of 2021, and their homegrown vaccine would likely not be available until end 2021 >>
5 Nov: The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is working on a project that will build a national brand for cultural tourism, focusing on its heritage and cuisine >>
5 Nov: Vietnam won 3 awards in the World Travel Awards 2020: ‘Asia's Leading Heritage Destination’, ‘Asia's Leading Cultural Destination’ and ‘Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination’, the 2nd consecutive year which Vietnam has won awards for these categories. Other Vietnamese winners included Hotel de la Couple, MGallery Sapa which won ‘Asia’s Leading Design Hotel’, Premier Village Ha Long Bay Resort ‘Asia’s Leading New Resort 2020’, Vietnam Airlines ‘Asia’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’, ‘Asia's Leading Airline - Premium Economy Class 2020’ and ‘Asia's Leading Cultural Airline 2020’, and Vietravel ‘Asia's Leading Tour Operator 2020’ >>
5 Nov: The Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2020 will take place in Hanoi from 18-21 Nov. It will focus on digital transformation tourism development. They expect to have 510 booths from travel companies, hotels, airlines and tourism providers, with 90,000 visitors and sell 35,000 tours and 22,000 flight tickets >>
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4 Nov: The investment capital required for the first phase of construction of the Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai province has been verified by the government and is in line with other international airports >>
4 Nov: A second economic stimulus package from the government will focus on the hardest hit industries, including aviation, tourism and consumption. It would potentially remove difficulties for aviation companies, with the government providing guarantees for loans, estimated at around $474 million USD. It has also proposed a 70% reduction on environmental protection tax on jet fuel in 2021. Tourism companies would also see an 80% reduction in deposits for 2 years, allowing them to have more working capital. There would also be a 5 month extension in tax and land fee payments. VAT may also be reduced on consumer goods >>
3 Nov: HCMC welcomed its first group of tourists under the tourism stimulus package. They arrived from Quang Ninh. A conference on linkages between HCMC and 8 provinces in the northeast will take place on 19-20 Nov >>
3 Nov: Hanoi welcomed 554,000 tourists in Oct, -71.4% YoY, but a 30% growth MoM. Revenue also jumped 25% MoM >>
2 Nov: Vietravel Airlines has now received its air travel licence from the Ministry of Transport >>
2 Nov: Bac Lieu is intensifying its efforts to increase tourism development, including a new program, “Vietnamese people prioritise travelling around Vietnam”. They will also choose “peak months” with big holidays in Q4 to hold cultural events, and are building tours with more cultural activities, ecotourism and practical experiences. Its 2020 plans were to achieve tourism revenue of 3 trillion VND, and 3 million tourists, an increase of 10% YoY, but it has just had 1.34 trillion VND and 1.58 million visitors from Jan - Sep. By 2025, it hopes to attract 7 million tourists with 10 trillion VND in revenues >>
2 Nov: Vietnam has gone 2 months without any community transmission >>
1 Nov: HCMC has partnered with its 5-star hotels to offer authentic local cuisine in their kitchens, to attract domestic and foreign visitors >>
31 Oct: Vietjet released its Q3 financial statement, showing a slight increase of air revenue. It operated 15,000 flights in Q3, serving 3 million domestic pax. Its Q3 YTD post-tax losses were $41.8 million USD >>
30 Oct: Typhoon Molave has killed 40 people in Vietnam in Central Vietnam >>
30 Oct: Vietnam Airlines will reopen 3 more domestic routes: Thanh Hoa - Buon Me Thuot, Da Lat - Phu Quoc Island, Hai Phong - Phu Quoc >>
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30 Oct: A new community tourism site has opened on Con Ho in the Tra Vinh province of the Mekong Delta. It will offer ecotourism and natural landscapes. The province launched a new tourism brand identity at the Culture, Tourism and Southern Cuisine Week, held concurrently with the Ok Om Bok Festival. Tourism arrivals to the province are -20% YoY >>
29 Oct: Vietnam’s Jan-Oct international arrivals numbers were down 73.8% YoY, to just 3.8 million tourists, whilst Oct arrivals were up 7.6% vs Sep, but still -99.1% YoY >>
27 Oct: Phu Tho province should focus on tourism to generate income by enhancing its services and product offerings, the PM has suggested >>
26 Oct: Ca Mau Airport will be upgraded after the 2021 – 2025 period, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV). It is forecast to handle 40,000 pax per year by 2025 >>
26 Oct: Tourist companies in HCMC are looking to establish criteria for safe destinations, to be able to prepare for international arrivals. A survey has shown that 83% of visitors would not want to travel if they had to be quarantined >>
25 Oct: Mui Ne has been recognised as a national tourist site, in a move which will help the development of Binh Thuan’s tourism and Mui Ne as high-end tourism spot >>
25 Oct: An evening tour, “Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long” will be launched later in the year in Hanoi >>
25 Oct: Schools in HCMC will enjoy an 11-day holiday for Tet from 6-10 Feb >>
24 Oct: A workshop on national tourism area management was held in Binh Thuan on 24 Oct, with over 200 attendees. Recommendations from the workshop will form the basis for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to propose a national tourism management model >>
24 Oct: HCMC has launched a domestic stimulus program from 23 Oct until the year-end which includes nearly 100 tourism businesses with discounted prices >>
24 Oct: Elephant rides in the Central Highlands are set to be banned as the Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism look at other elephant-related activities >>
24 Oct: Vntrip has raised $7 million USD in an extended series B round of funding >>
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23 Oct: Vietnamese airlines and the railways have organised activities to support the flood hit central provinces, with donations, free transportation for relief goods and free air tickets >>
23 Oct: Bilateral tourism cooperation was discussed between India and Vietnam >>
23 Oct: The Vietnam Jungle Marathon will go ahead on 24 Oct, with more than 1,100 runners in Thanh Hoa province >>
22 Oct: $21.52 million USD has been granted by the government to 5 central provinces hit by historic flooding and deadly landslides, with at least 114 people killed and 170,000 houses submerged >>
21 Oct: The PM has instructed HCMC and Hanoi to strictly enforce face mask wearing in public >>
21 Oct: The Vietnam Chefs Association has wanted that there are not enough qualified people in the culinary hospitality sector >>
21 Oct: Traveloka have said that their domestic booking numbers are on a positive transaction trend in Vietnam, with numbers returning to their pre-pandemic levels >>
21 Oct: Vietnamese workers in heavily impacted sectors such as tourism will have the chance to go on short training courses which will help them to reskill into different fields >>
21 Oct: Quang Ninh province is aiming to attract 3 million visitors in Q3, with 30 events scheduled for the rest of the year. They will prioritise the HCMC markets, southern localities, central and central highland provinces and northeastern provinces and have developed new products at competitive prices. Jan-Sep arrival numbers were 5.8 million, half of 2019’s figures for the same period >>
21 Oct: Hyatt Regency West Hanoi has opened, the first Hyatt hotel in Hanoi >>
21 Oct: Danang held an online seminar for Malaysian and Singaporean trade participants, highlighting it as a safe destination and its strengths post-pandemic >>
19 Oct: Vinh Phuc province are looking to attract more investment into tourism to make it into a leading economic sector >>
19 Oct: A ground breaking ceremony for the expansion of an aircraft apron at Danang International Airport has taken place, something which is deemed necessary to meet growing demand at the airport >>
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19 Oct: Vietnam Airlines will add more domestic flights, with additional flight for Hanoi – Dien Bien province, and HCMC with Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces >>
19 Oct: The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is running a promotional video about Vietnam with CNN Asia from 15 Oct for 6 weeks under a “Why not Vietnam?” campaign >>
18 Oct: Vietjet is offering 50% of its routes until 20 Oct in a special campaign >>
16 Oct: Vietravel has received its air licence and will operate its first flight on 18 Dec, instead of 2021 as planned. They expect 3 aircraft to be delivered in its first year, and 5 more by Y5. Its passengers will mainly be people booking onto its tours, and also some commercial pax as it will focus “wholly” on the domestic market. Vietravel said that in Jul, its domestic travel was higher than pre- pandemic, but overall numbers were down 70% YoY for Jan-Sep. It will be based out of Phu Bai International Airport, in Thua Thien-Hue province, and hopes to carry 1 million pax in Y1 >>
16 Oct: A Safe Trip in Vietnam app has been launched – it will help tourists find information about tourism destinations as well as the safety levels and how the pandemic is controlled in the places they are visiting. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) also estimates that inbound foreign tourists to Vietnam would drop by at least 70%, whilst outbound tourists would drop by 85%, leading to total national tourism income decreasing by 61% YoY >>
16 Oct: Ba Ria-Vung Tau will launch hot air balloons in Oct, which would be available daily >>
16 Oct: Ninh Binh province launched its new tourism promotion on 15 Oct, with over 200 travel businesses attending. From Jan-Oct, the province has had 2.1 million tourists, -68% YoY and revenue -61% >>
16 Oct: The VPBank Hanoi Marathon will take place on 18 Oct, with 3,000 racers in Hanoi and 8,000-10,000 runners joining in mini race spots throughout Vietnam and ASEAN. It marks the first full-scale event to take place after the country’s 2nd wave >>
15 Oct: A museum dedicated to To Huu, a famous poet, has been opened in Hanoi >>
15 Oct: Hoa Binh has launched its 2nd domestic tourism stimulus program, targeting not only domestic but also expat tourists. The region also organised a fam trip for travel and media companies to highlight its ecotourism. The number of visitors in 2020 has only reached 39.4% of its target >>
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15 Oct: Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiaries have captured over 50% of the domestic flight market share >>
14 Oct: Vietnam Airlines has reported losses of $464 million USD in Jan-Sep, with revenue down 58.3% YoY and passenger traffic down -41.2% YoY. The 2nd wave forced the airline to cut 22 new domestic routes during its peak period, and has now resumed 11 of these. It is operating more than 60 domestic routes, with an average of 300 flights/ day >>
14 Oct: HCMC launched its “Hello HCMC” campaign will highlight 5 aspects of the city’s tourism: futuristic, open, youthful, colourful, and exciting. The city’s tourism department will also begin to carry out overseas tourism marketing early next year >>
13 Oct: An additional 14 hotels in HCMC have been designated quarantine facilities, bringing the number to 24 in total >>
13 Oct: Southeast Vietnamese provinces are partnering together in a joint tourism promotional campaign called “7 localities – safe and interesting tourism”. In Ba Ria-Vung Tau, 100% of tourism establishments have planned promotions with up to 30% off, with attraction fees decreasing in price from 10-30% too >>
12 Oct: HCMC is hosting the Áo Dài festival from 11 Oct, with 500 designs by prestigious designers. It aims to kickstart tourism >>
12 Oct: Ninh Binh will be developing tours to discover the urban nightlife. A conference of 200 public and private representatives met to find solutions for promoting tourism, and night activities were identified as a target for encouraging tourist spend. They also considered running weekday promotions, to spread the load >>
9 Oct: VNAT expect that 2021 will continue to be a challenging year. Savills Hotel APAC also have seen increased hotel bookings in Sep and Oct, and the country is now on the road to recovery once more >>
9 Oct: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) will launch a new app on 10 Oct to help visitors to check the safety of destinations. It will include information on tourism businesses, transport providers, etc who have submitted their safety status >>
9 Oct: A survey by Indochina Capital and Wink Hotels has shown that 68% of Vietnamese plan to resume domestic travels by Q4 2020. 64% of travellers use OTAs to book, and 91% rely on digital adverts for hotel browsing >>
9 Oct: A National Council for Cultural Heritage has been established by the PM to help safeguard national relics and treasures >>
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8 Oct: Vietnam will reduce 4,000 workers from its civil service, and frozen new hiring. The General Statistics Office has shown that 14% of the labour force had lost their jobs from Jan-Sep, with 99% of jobs in the aviation sector lost, followed by tourism at 43% and hospitality at 28% >>
7 Oct: Vietjet has now restored its domestic network and increased frequency to 250 flights/ day, with certain routes maximised for year-end travel >>
7 Oct: Booking.com has revealed that the average distance which Vietnamese travelled from Jun-Aug has shrunk by 33% YoY, but in general, Vietnamese still travelled more than the global average. Top booked domestic travel destinations include: HCMC, Hanoi, Vung Tau, Danang, Dalat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Quy Nhon and Halong >>
7 Oct: The cost of the Long Thanh Airport in Dong Nai has been cut by 103.5 million USD. The council has said that it will be difficult to reach its 2025 completion target date >>
7 Oct: Short training courses for 1,000 workers affected by COVID-19, including those form the tourism industry, will be run by the German development agency and the Department of Labours, Invalids and Social Affairs in 8 cities and provinces >>
7 Oct: Experts are concerned about a second airport for Hanoi, saying that demand could fall short of expectations, especially with the expansion of Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport already >>
6 Oct: Vietnamese hotels being used for quarantine purposes must have ‘buffer rooms’, one room empty in between quarantine rooms. HCMC currently has 10 designated hotels for quarantine, 2 of which are designated for cabin crew use. The HCMC tourism department has recommended adding 16 hotels, including budget hotels to offer travellers more choice >>
6 Oct: 1,300 tourism businesses have been affected in HCMC >>
6 Oct: Hai Phong city have locked down a hotel after a Japanese business traveller tested positive upon arrival to Japan after departing from Vietnam >>
5 Oct: Vietnam Airlines is now operating 200 flights/ day, with 40,000 pax, compared to Aug’s 17,500 pax. Bamboo Airways is now serving 12,000-15,000 pax/ day, and the load factor on its Hanoi – Con Dao route is at 100%. Passenger traffic at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport increased 15% per week since Sep, and on weekends it handles 32,000 pax/ day on 250 flights >>
5 Oct: The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) is proposing a domestic airport in Quang Tri province, located 7km away from Dong Ha city >>
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5 Oct: Tourism agents will reduce their prices by 50% to the Ba Ria – Vung Tau province during the 2nd phase of its stimulus program. Many tour operators are reporting that sales are only at 30% of the Jun and Jul’s numbers >>
5 Oct: A rail link between Phnom Penh to Bavet, on the border with Vietnam, is being considered. Vietnam would then build a rail link from Bavet to HCMC >>
4 Oct: Fitch Ratings estimates that Vietnamese air carriers will rebound quicker than their ASEAN peers, with its RPK reaching 55% of last year’s. It also forecasts that in 2021 this will reach 90% of 2019’s levels, compared to ASEAN’s 60% >>
4 Oct: The CAAV has asked the Ministry of Transport to shorten the closure of the Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport for upgrading and repairing runways >>
3 Oct: Russian travel companies in Khanh Hoa are proposing opening up the region to Russian tourists from Nov on chartered flights. The country is the second largest source market for Khanh Hoa >>
3 Oct: A tourism stimulus program in the SE region has been launched, with 7 localities, including HCMC, Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh. The locations will work together to promote the SE region as a safe one with a digital regional travel map designed to make it easy for tourists to find safe destinations and tourism products >>
3 Oct: Businesses affected by the pandemic will have more opportunities to get funding if a government proposal of a 2.6 billion USD package is agreed >>
2 Oct: HCMC authorities have announced quarantine fees to avoid further disagreements from tourists about fees >>
2 Oct: The Department of Tourism for Danang, with Vietnam Airlines, will host the first tourists back to Danang from 4-6 Oct. Its Aug tourist arrivals dropped 95.5% YoY due to the 2nd wave outbreak originating from the city >>
2 Oct: If Hanoi were to build a 2nd airport, the location for it is not yet agreed, with possible contenders being the Ung Hoa district, Thanh Mien/ Binh Giang districts, or Tien Lang district in Hai Phong city >>
2 Oct: HCMC is aiming to become a regional healthcare hub to attract tourists to visit, using traditional medicine as a highlight >>
2 Oct: Consumer confidence is at the lowest level for 20 years according to a poll >>
2 Oct: Hotels in Yen Bai province are seeing a large number of domestic tourists as part of the Mu Cang Chai terraced field festival. Activities in the festival include a marathon, helicopter cruise and a camping festival. Sapa in Lao Cai province has
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also launched a “I love Sapa” campaign on 30 Sep, with a varied cultural program to attract tourists. Lao Cai’s visitors from Jan-Sep have declined 67% YoY to 1.3 million, and revenue -70% YoY. Lao Cai are hoping to attract 2.5 million visitors by YE 2020 >>
2 Oct: A 30% corporate income tax cut for selected businesses for the 2020 financial year has been approved >>
2 Oct: HCMC has launched a 2nd stimulus worth $517 million USD for SMEs. It includes preferential loans to allow workers to retain workers and maintain production. Around 100,000-120,000 tourism workers have lost their jobs, with 4,400 tourism businesses affected >>
1 Oct: 100 Vietnamese passengers who returned to HCMC from Seoul refused to be quarantined, saying the charges were unaffordable and were different to what had been mentioned prior to arrival. The passengers were later taken to a centralised quarantine facility >>
1 Oct: HCMC have launched a new campaign to promote the city, called “Hello Ho Chi Minh City”. It has 2 phases – the 1st focuses on promoting the city as a safe, friendly place, including the Ao Dai Fstival and interprovincial cooperation. The 2nd phase is to promote the official identity of HCMC, with conferences linked to events such as the International Marathon, and also boost promotion through international channels >>
1 Oct: Hanoi is targeting 35-39 million tourists by 2025, with 8-9 million international arrivals. By 2030, that would increase to 48-49 million total tourists, 13-14 million of which international arrivals. The city will focus on boosting tourism infrastructure and conservation projects >>
30 Sep: Vietnam’s Jan-Sep international arrivals fell 70% YoY to just 3.78 million. Sep alone dropped 99% to 13,800, mainly foreign experts, highly-skilled workers and students. Tourism revenue Jan-Sep is down 56.3% YoY, with the biggest impacts on Khanh Hoa province, HCMC and Quang Nam >>
30 Sep: The Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism have launched their 2nd domestic stimulus program, “Safe and Attractive Vietnam” >>
30 Sep: The Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) forecasts that international visitors to Vietnam will decline by at least 70% YoY, and domestic tourists will be reduced by 50%. They are encouraging tourism businesses to transform digitally, to reach more consumers and reduce costs >>
30 Sep: Vietnam is targeting a 7% GDP growth rate, and a $5,000 USD per capita income from 2021 to 2025. 2020’s per capita income stands at $2,750 USD >>
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30 Sep: Vietnamese pilots and flight attendants have seen their salaries drop as their flight hours have reduced >>
30 Sep: Saigon Railways have started to sell their group Tet tickets for 2021 >>
30 Sep: Bamboo Airways is planning to add more Embraer E-195s to their fleet, after just receiving 2. They form part of the airline’s strategy to connect untapped potential holiday destinations with smaller aircraft >>
29 Sep: HCMC is considering opening more walking zones on weekends, to encourage residents and tourists to visit >>
28 Sep: Many hotels in Hanoi’s Old Quarter are being sold after incurring big losses. VNAT have said that occupancy in Hanoi is less than 10% >>
26 Sep: Hanoi will hold the Dragon Dance Festival on 3 Oct, as part of its Thang Long celebrations >>
25 Sep: Danang has returned to normal from the 25 Sep, after the 2nd wave was controlled >>
25 Sep: A conference held by Vietnam National Administration (VNAT) and VNExpress agreed that “safety and attraction” should be the motto for the developing tourism industry >>
25 Sep: Vietnam is boosting the production of test kits, with over 20,000 pax expected to arrive in Vietnam per month. The country’s largest producer of the kits is now making 100,000 per day, which can be increased by 5 times if necessary >>
25 Sep: Hanoi Theatre Festival will open on 26 Sep, with 14 productions and forms part of the Thang Long festival >>
25 Sep: HCMC is looking to build more public parks and greenery over the next decade and to plant 50,000 trees by 2030 >>
24 Sep: Danang will reopen bars, clubs and karaoke parlours on 25 Sep >>
24 Sep: More airlines are reopening their domestic routes, such as Bamboo Airways’ Hai Phong - Quy Nhon route >>
24 Sep: Vietnamese airlines reached an on-time performance of 96% in Sep, with Bamboo Airways leading the pack at 97.8% >>
24 Sep: A survey conducted by VNExpress and Vietnam’s Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) revealed that:
• 41% of respondents said they had made plans to travel between Sep-Nov 2020, whilst 20% plan to travel in Dec
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• 47% preferred trips of 2-3 days, and Lam Dong Province came out as the most popular destination (23.6%) • 56% said that COVID-19 safety would be the leading decision factor for choosing a destination • 63% planned to book hotels and tours on online platforms • 57% worried about visiting tourists hotspots which were centres of the pandemic >>
24 Sep: Vietnam was ranked 13th best holiday destination to visit in 2021 by CNTraveller >>
15 Jun: The Tourism Minister has encouraged Vietnamese people to travel within the country after 60 days of no community transmission. Four phases of Vietnam’s reopening will be:
1. Domestic tourism available and encouraged – current position 2. Cautious “tourism exchanges” with safe countries 3. Expanding the list of regional tourists who can visit Vietnam 4. International arrivals returning to the “pre-COVID-19 normal” >>
30 May: New economic measures have been taken by the government, including:
• Reduction of 15% on rental fees for state-owned land and properties for businesses forced to stop operation by COVID-19 • Waiving fees for local airlines, reducing landing and take-off charges and air navigation services fees by 50% for domestic flights from Mar-Sep. • Airlines are also allowed to offer zero air fares for certain services • Mobile money scheme will also be allowed to pilot for low value transactions • MSMEs could also benefit from a proposed 30% cut in corporate tax this year >>
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 >>
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 >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/vietnam/
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OUTBOUND
NEW 20 Nov: Vietnam Airlines won the top spot for YouGov Best Brands study. The airline scored slightly lower than last year, 61.5 down from 63.7 >>
NEW 20 Nov: Vietnam Airlines has spent more on disinfection equipment, spraying disinfectant after each landing on certain domestic and all international routes >>
NEW 17 Nov: The $520 million USD rescue plan for Vietnam Airlines has been unanimously approved by the National Assembly. It includes refinancing and extending credit deadlines for the airline >>
10 Nov: Bamboo Airways is now licensed by the US to carry passengers between Vietnam and the USA. It will use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to fly from Hanoi/ HCMC to international airports including Los Angeles and San Francisco. It plans to launch direct flights to the US in late 2020 or early 2021, depending on market conditions >>
8 Nov: South Korea have opened up a new Consulate General in Danang, which it will also use to help promote tourism and investment connections between central Vietnam world heritage sites and popular South Korean tourism destinations >>
25 Oct: Thousands of tourists attended the Korean Culture Day in Sapa, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea >>
12 Oct: Korea Tourism Organisation is holding an event, “Hi! Korea” offering Vietnamese virtual tours to Korea from now to 6 Dec at the Lotte Center in Hanoi. It will have special games, VR and let visitors try on traditional Korean costumers >>
1 Oct: Vietjet inaugurated 2 regular commercial flights between Vietnam and South Korea >>
View older updates from February onwards on our dashboard at: https://www.pearanderson.com/coronavirus/vietnam/
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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: [email protected] http://www.pearanderson.com
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