South-east Asian nations avoid rules targeting China visitors despite Covid risks, and hope the influx will revive battered tourism sectors
After almost three years of little to no business, Thai tour guide operator Anchalee Vittayanuntapornkul is more than relieved that Chinese tourists will soon be allowed to travel again. “I’m sure if you ask anyone in the tourism industry, the only nationality that they are waiting to see come back is the Chinese tourists,” says Anchalee, who is based in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.
On Sunday, China scrapped the requirement for inbound travellers to quarantine, making holidaying abroad much easier. The policy change is expected to boost the tourism sector across the wider region, including south-east Asia, which depended heavily on Chinese travellers before the pandemic.
