Southeast Asia Loses Appeal for Chinese Travelers

A series of Chinese crime films and gruesome murder cases deterred Chinese tourists from visiting Southeast Asia during the eight-day National Day holiday in October. One Chinese travel agency said bookings for Thailand plummeted by half after the August 8 premiere of No More Bets, a cybercrime drama set in an unnamed Southeast Asian country. Before the pandemic, the region was among the top destinations for Chinese tourists. However, even after the national Covid-19 lockdown was lifted this year, the travel industry has struggled to fully recover. In response to this decline, Thailand introduced a free-visa entry option for Chinese travelers. Experts suggest that changing preferences among young Chinese travelers is contributing to the cooling of the once-booming markets in Southeast Asia. They also suggest that China should consider implementing more flexible holiday schedules to ensure a more comfortable and safer travel experience, reducing the problem of overcrowded tourist destinations.