Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest domestic flight route in Southeast Asia

Outbox Company, a tourism market research company in Vietnam, has recently released a report on the effectiveness of tourism in Southeast Asia. According to data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Southeast Asia tourism market in 2022 has grown strongly compared to 2021 (when countries were closed due to the pandemic), but has not yet recovered to the level of 2019.

In 2022, the total number of international visitors to Southeast Asia was 35 million, accounting for 4% of the entire Asia-Pacific region, with a growth rate of 1,094.5%.

In January, Thailand was the most popular destination for international tourists in Southeast Asia with 2.1 million visitors, followed by Singapore and Vietnam.

The Philippines had the highest recovery rate in the region, and Vietnam achieved the highest annual target index in the region during this period.

In February, with a total seat capacity of 8,975,064 on flights, Indonesia was the leading destination in Southeast Asia, followed by Thailand with 5,656,934 seats and Vietnam with 5,579,406 seats.

The domestic flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City topped the list of the busiest routes in Southeast Asia with a total seat capacity of 930,391. This number is higher than the next two routes, Jakarta to Bali and Jakarta to South Sulawesi, by 63% and 94%, respectively.

Tourism in Southeast Asia has attracted significant international visitors, surpassing set targets due to flexible changes in new approaches, according to another report from Outbox Company.

To facilitate international tourists, in September of last year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) implemented a new visa policy. Specifically, citizens of countries and territories that are granted a 30-day visa waiver by Thailand will have their stay automatically extended to 45 days, from 15 days to 30 days. This policy is in effect from October 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.

In addition, Thailand is also pushing for short-haul flights and exploring neighboring markets. Short-haul flights accounted for 67.6% of the total 11.8 million foreign visitors in 2022, equivalent to 7.98 million visitors excluding Chinese tourists.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has relaxed visa and health regulations. At the same time, the country has also increased international flights. Indonesia has successfully transformed into an attractive destination for remote workers in combination with tourism.