Thinking of Going to Southeast Asia? Here’s What You Should Expect.

Complications abound for travelers

Before the pandemic, Southeast Asia was one of the world’s fastest growing regions for international tourism, with a record 139 million visitors in 2019, an increase of nearly 8 percent from 2018. United Nations World Tourism Organization. The emerald waters of Halong Bay in Vietnam were filled with hundreds of cruise ships, the rooftop bars in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia were packed with partiers, and walking the streets on Thai islands like Phuket meant enduring crowds shoulder to shoulder. Tourist destinations in the region have been clogged with package tours from China, the world’s largest source of foreign tourism, over the past decade. By UNWTO., nearly 150 million Chinese travelers spent $277 billion in 2018 alone.

Countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Cambodia were among the favorite destinations of Chinese tourists. But as the coronavirus outbreak in China turned into a global epidemic in early 2020, places linked to foreign visitors in the region have been abandoned. Last year, foreign arrivals to Southeast Asia fell to 3.3 million, or about 2 percent of the record number in 2019.

With the gradual resurgence of international tourism this year, visitors will face a host of restrictions and rewards, according to tourists and travel companies in the region.

Mr. Lamberty and Ms. Laird had vacationed in Phuket 16 times before the pandemic. They were famous for their tropical beaches, fiery cuisine, hedonistic nightlife, and enjoyed visiting temples and taking Thai cooking classes. This time, they made it easy by visiting friends and relaxing at their beachfront hotel. Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket on the Andaman Sea. They were upset to see that the boutiques in a nearby mall had closed and it is now a Covid testing site.

“You have a memory of what happened before and what happened here, but everyone has to compromise,” said Ms. Laird. “Be brave about travel and go for it; The reward is simply to be here.”

Travelers pursuing this award must be prepared to withstand virus tests and even quarantines, and purchase health and travel insurance prior to their arrival. Other suggestions: Be prepared to download government travel apps, upload vaccines and travel documents, and accept that a positive virus test result could send you into quarantine or cause a flight to be missed. Don’t be surprised if service in hotels, restaurants, and tour companies is lame or understaffed, or if government rules suddenly change while you’re on vacation.