THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
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THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
IMPACT SUMMARY
THE IMPACT
OF COVID-19
ON THE
SOUTHEAST
ASIAN WEEKLY SUMMARY
TOURISM 03 MAY 2020
INDUSTRY
Hannah Pearson
hannah@pearanderson.com
INTRODUCTION
As a market highly dependent on both Chinese outbound tourism and the Chinese
economy, Southeast Asia is a region which already has been heavily affected by
the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
With the declaration of a pandemic, as well as a fast increasing number of cases in
the region itself, Southeast Asia’s tourism economy will continue to be impacted.
Each week, we round up some of the key news stories for each country within
ASEAN and send it straight to your inbox on Sunday evening. You can sign up to
receive our email at https://insights.pearanderson.com/sea-covid-summary.THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
IMPACT SUMMARY
IMPACT SUMMARY
Week ending Sunday 3rd May 2020
INBOUND TRAVEL OUTBOUND TRAVEL
COUNTRY LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS RESTRICTIONS CASES DEATHS
Cambodia Partial Visa restrictions Discouraged 122 0
Indonesia Partial Not permitted Flight restriction 11,192 845
Laos Partial Not permitted Not permitted 19 0
Effective 4 May
Malaysia Partial Not permitted Not permitted 6,298 105
Effective 4 May
Myanmar Partial Not permitted Flight restriction 151 6
Philippines Partial Not permitted Not permitted 9,223 607
Singapore Lockdown Not permitted Discouraged 18,205 17
Thailand Partial Not permitted Flight restriction 2,969 54
Vietnam Partial Not permitted Not permitted 271 0
Data accurate as of 20:34 (UTC+8) on 03 May 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
Cambodia continues its partial lockdown, and entry into
CAMBODIA the country as a non-citizen remains very difficult.
Page 4 • 2,865 tourism businesses have closed or been • Angkor Wat has seen a drop of 99.5% in April
suspended
Flight restrictions largely remain in place for both
INDONESIA international and domestic flights, more financial
support has been given to tourism business owners by
the government.
Page 6 • 213,00 tourism workers have been affected by • Garuda Indonesia will provide rapid testing
the impact of COVID-19 so far services for their pax
Lockdown restrictions lifted from 4 May, but
LAOS international borders remain closed.
Page 11 • Q1 domestic and foreign visitors down 17% YoY, • The Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association met
more than $450,000 USD lost with the government to express concernsTHE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY
Lockdown conditions to be relaxed from 4 May, but
MALAYSIA concern and confusion remains at state level about the
risks this could pose.
Page 12 • AirAsia resumed some of their domestic flight • Bank Negara has allocated RM5 billion for
routes financing loans to SMEs
Partial lockdown and incoming flight ban extended
MYANMAR until 15 May, whilst tourism association warns about
potential job losses.
Page 17 • More than 500,000 tourism workers may lose • $142.8 million USD fund to be created by the
their jobs, according to the Union of Myanmar government to help struggling businesses
Travel Association
More fiscal measures rolled out to support the tourism
PHILIPPINES industry; Manila’s lockdown restrictions slightly relaxed
from 1 May.
Page 19 • International tourist revenue in Q1 has decreased • PHP 43 billion stimulus package to support the
by 40.6% YoY and international arrivals by 40.2% tourism sector is being prepared by the
government
Singapore in talks to establish travel links with S Korea,
SINGAPORE New Zealand, Canada and Australia; some lockdown
measures to be relaxed from 12 May.
Page 23 • Singapore’s arrival numbers in March dropped • Singapore Airlines extends its flight
85%, with Q1 overall figures down 43% cancellations until the end of June
Lockdown restrictions relaxed for many sectors;
THAILAND domestic flights resume across the country but with
confusing quarantine requirements.
Page 28 • Thai Airways will receive a 50 billion THB loan • Incoming flight ban to Thailand has been
from the Thai government extended until 31 May
Vietnam’s tourism is open for domestic business once
VIETNAM more, with the majority of tourist sites reopening and
flight frequency increasing.
Page 34 • Vietnam’s April YTD figures show a drop of 37.8% • A government guaranteed credit package of $6.4
YoY with only 3.7 million visitors billion for tourism business loans has been
requested
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CAMBODIA
Tourism industry may lose up to $856 million
TRAVEL All visa exemptions, visas on arrival and e-visas are suspended. Travellers from
RESTRICTIONS
France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Spain or USA are not allowed to enter Cambodia
(IATA).
LOCKDOWN Schools closed nationwide until further notice, while all museums, karaoke
STATUS
parlours, casinos, spas and massage parlours and cinemas are closed. Large
religious gatherings are banned
INBOUND
NEW 02 May: Angkor Wat has seen a drop of 99.5% in April >>
NEW 30 Apr: The State of Emergency legislation, which is designed to help counter
COVID-19 amongst other issues, was signed into law on 29 Apr >>
NEW 29 Apr: 2,865 tourism businesses have closed or been suspended, affecting 46,369
employees according to the Cambodian government. In the 2nd week of March,
>190,000 Cambodian and expat travellers continued to visit resorts and tourist
attractions in Cambodia >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 45% in
2020, with a loss of $0.87 billion USD in revenue and 770,000 jobs >>
09 Apr: The President of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents has stated that
she expects it to take at least 6 months for people to start taking holidays, and the
long-haul market could be even longer. 30,000 in the tourism sector are now
unemployed; 10,000 of whom worked at tour operators, 10,000 at hotels, 6,000
were tour guides and others worked in restaurants >>
09 Apr: Khmer New Year holidays cancelled. Interprovincial travel has been
banned until 16 Apr, covering the entire Khmer New Year period >>
06 Apr: 10 major business events that were to take place in Cambodia from Mar to
Aug this year have been postponed or cancelled >>
02 Apr: 60% decrease in tourist arrivals since Feb according to the Cambodian
government, ticket sales at Angkor Wat fallen by 30 – 40% >>
02 Apr: Cambodia could lose between $345 - $856 million USD in tourism revenue
according to the Asian Development Bank >>
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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 >>
29 Mar: Cambodia will no longer issue tourist and entry visas for one month
starting on 30 Mar. Travellers with valid visas only allowed to enter with proof of
negative test >>
19 Mar: The number of tourists to Cambodia in Jan & Feb declined by 30% vs. last
year >>
18 Mar: Projected 250,000 workers could lose their jobs in a worst-case scenario of
the Asian Development Bank >>
25 Feb: Hotels and guesthouses in Siem Reap province to get a 4-month tax
exemption, and Angkor Wat’s admission prices are to be reduced. >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 30 Apr: Cambodia Airports revealed that the number of pax flying in/ out of the
country has dropped by 96% daily, with just 6 or 7 mainly domestic flights. From
1-27 Apr, the daily average was just 524 pax, vs. 31,410 YoY >>
16 Apr: International traffic in/ out of Cambodia has dropped by over 90%, with
limited flights from Korea, Japan and China remaining >>
08 Apr: Cambodia Airways is still committed to expanding post COVID-19 >>
19 Mar: Cambodia Airways has reduced 40% of flights across Asia >>
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INDONESIA
Forecasted losses of $10 billion USD
TRAVEL Passengers are not allowed to transit or enter Indonesia (IATA). Non-essential
RESTRICTIONS
outbound travel advised to be restricted. Restricted domestic flights permitted
until 1 Jun.
LOCKDOWN Jakarta, Bekasi, Bogor, Depok, Pekanbaru, West Java and West Sumatra’s schools,
STATUS
workplaces are closed, religious and socio-cultural events are restricted and
limited public transportation available and interprovincial buses cancelled. Until
22 May.
INDONESIA
100 80.00 82.00 78.00 85.00 78.00
72.00 73.00 75.00 77.00 77.00
50
56.00 63.00
45.00 48.00 48.00 48.00 47.00 46.00
35.00 38.00
0
24 Feb 2 Mar 9 Mar 16 Mar 23 Mar 30 Mar 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27-Apr
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
% of people in each country who say they are: avoiding physical contact with tourists
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
I N D ON ESI A TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS
CHA N GE % YOY
5.9%
INDONESIA
-28.9%
Jan-20 Feb-20
Source: Statistics Indonesia
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NEW 30 Apr: Close to 213,00 tourism workers have been affected by the impact of
COVID-19. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will continue to develop
programs to empower tourism entrepreneurs and release online training to
support them >>
NEW 30 Apr: Garuda Indonesia will provide rapid testing services for their pax, along
with the air transport authority >>
NEW 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 >>
NEW 29 Apr: Garuda Indonesia have grounded most of their fleet, and postponed salary
or performed wage cuts for 25,000 workers >>
NEW 29 Apr: Lion Air Group is expected to resume flights on 03 May, to support
business people. These pax must bring health certificates to be allowed to board,
as well as a letter from their company >>
NEW 27 Apr: Officials expect Indonesia’s cases to drop in June and “normal life” to
resume in July >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 49% in
2020, with a loss of $8.225 billion USD in revenue and 2,069,000 jobs >>
23 Apr: All domestic air travel is banned from 24 Apr to 1 Jun, for both scheduled
and chartered flights. Public land and sea transport is also prohibited >>
23 Apr: Labuan Bajo and Flores Tourism Authority will allocate up to $258 million
USD to help tourism in the region, with a 3-step process of emergency, recovery
and normalisation measures >>
22 Apr: Jakarta’s lockdown will be extended until 22 May with harsher penalties for
those who disobey measures >>
22 Apr: The Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies
(ASITA) Yogyakarta Chapter has said that the tourism industry may face problems
during recovery as many workers had found alternative jobs. The minister for
tourism has been coordinating with travel partners to design appealing domestic
and international promotions >>
21 Apr: The President finally imposed a ban on the mudik, or homecoming, ahead
of Eid, for everyone >>
20 Apr: New ceiling and floor airfares have been increased by the government for
domestic flights to help them cope with the new regulations that restrict pax
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capacity to 50% per flight. National airlines’ revenue estimated loss has reached
207 billion IDR >>
18 Apr: Lockdown expanded to West Java, including Bandung, and West Sumatra
>>
17 Apr: AirAsia Indonesia plans to resume its domestic flights in Indonesia on 1
May >>
16 Apr: Indonesia is set to lose $10 billion from tourism revenue this year, with
foreign tourists falling to 5 million from 2019’s 16 million. Widodo the Indonesian
President said, “Economic stimulus for businesses in the tourism and creative
industry must be prepared so they can survive and don’t resort to large-scale
layoffs.” They are preparing stimulus packages for the travel industry >>
15 Apr: Lockdown expanded to include Jakarta’s satellite cities in Bekasi, Bogor
and Depok and Pekanbaru will also implement the lockdown. Airlines limiting
passengers to 50% of aircraft capacity should make travel more difficult and costly
to discourage consumers >>
15 Apr: Angkasa Pura II has restricted services and operating hours at its 19
airports >>
14 Apr: Indonesia became the world’s 3rd biggest aviation market with scheduled
capacity of 2.1 million seats, down 7.8% vs. last week and 33% down on w/c Jan
20, as other airlines around the world slash capacity >>
14 Apr: Bali does not plan to implement a lockdown as Jakarta has >>
14 Apr: Tiket.com’s revenue has dropped 75%. They have now slashed their
marketing budget by 90%. Traveloka’s web traffic is estimated to be down 60% in
March >>
13 Apr: Nearly 200,000 tourism workers are expected to apply for the
Preemployment Card benefits program launched in April with total benefits of
$223 USD. 7,000 travel agents in the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel
Agents (ASITA) have either cut salaries or furloughed employees to avoid layoffs.
1,200 hotels have temporarily closed, with 74,100 employees registered under the
scheme, but more are expected >>
12 Apr: Public buses, trains, planes and ships must limit their capacity to 50% in a
new decree >>
07 Apr: Traveloka, a large Indonesian OTA, has had to make redundancies,
affecting around 10% of its workforce. Some remaining staff are on pay cuts >>
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07 Apr: Passenger traffic at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has dropped by
15% in Q1 vs last year. Angkasa Pura, the airport operator, has seen an 8.11% drop
in passengers at its 15 airports across the country >>
07 Apr: Jakarta was approved to implement further social distancing on the city,
including closing schools, workplaces and limiting religious and socio-cultural
activities >>
07 Apr: 1,266 hotels have closed with employees told to take leave, but the
Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) expects more than 150,000
hotels to be affected >>
06 Apr: The Center of Reform on Economics has said that tourism is projected to
take a long time to recover as it is sensitive to safety and security >>
06 Apr: Occupancy is below 2% according to PHRI. They have asked the
government for specific sector assistance as they fear mass layoffs and closures
without intervention >>
02 Apr: Bali declared a state of emergency, with all travellers entering the island
including locals, to have to self-quarantine for 2 weeks >>
02 Apr: A new public holiday may be created later in the year to encourage
Indonesians to travel then rather than over Eid >>
01 Apr: Indonesia’s foreign visitors in February dropped by 28.9% YoY and the
Central Agency of Statistics forecasts the number will drop lower yet >>
30 Mar: Stricter rules on social distancing are to be implemented, including the
stopping of interprovincial buses and tourist buses. The President, Widodo, is still
against a full lockdown. Angkasa Pura, the airport operator, announced that 18,300
flights have been cancelled at its 15 airports, 14,000 of which were domestic >>
30 Mar: Indonesia AirAsia have suspended operations until 21 Apr for domestic
flights >>
29 Mar: Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport is temporarily stopping operations at
terminals 1B and 2F from 1 Apr to 29 May >>
18 Mar: Indonesian government announced a 2nd emergency stimulus package of
$8 billion USD, which focused on the manufacturing sector rather than tourism >>
17 Mar: The government has called for the stopping of MICE activities and to “limit
activities that promote tourism and the creative economy”. The government has
cancelled all promotional plans announced during on 25 Feb >>
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16 Mar: The Indonesian tourism sector has lost at least $1.5 billion USD since
January, with $1.1 billion USD from Chinese tourists, $400 million USD from other
nations. Average occupancy rate is as low as 20% in Bali >>
25 Feb: $21.5 million fund for the Indonesian tourism industry has been
announced by the government, including incentives for airlines, travel agencies,
promotional activities and sponsoring fam trips.
The government is also providing an additional fund to support airlines with
discounts of up to 30% for domestic tourism for 10 Indonesian destinations, on top
of the existing airline discounts, from Mar to May travel >>
OUTBOUND
22 Apr: The Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies
(ASITA) Yogyakarta Chapter has said travel agents may have to cut longhaul
destinations and focus on SE Asian countries instead due to weaker purchasing
power >>
21 Apr: ASTINDO has called for airlines to give cash refunds to enable its travel
company members to maintain cashflow and refund their own clients >>
17 Apr: ASITA reported that 98% of its 7,000 members (travel agents and tour
operators) have temporarily closed operations, furloughing employees >>
30 Mar: Indonesia AirAsia have suspended operations until 17 Apr for international
flights >>
17 Mar: Indonesian Umrah travel agents could lose 2 trillion rupiah ($134
million) whilst Saudi Arabia continues its entry ban >>
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LAOS
Could lose up to $20 - 25 million USD from cancellations
TRAVEL Flights are suspended. (IATA).
RESTRICTIONS
LOCKDOWN Restaurants, shopping centres, retail and service businesses to reopen on Mon 04
STATUS
May, but people must wear face masks outside and keep social distancing. This
will continue until 17 May, but should new infections be detected in 2 provinces,
lockdown will be implemented once more. Schools remain closed, as do
recreational and leisure spaces including bars, cinemas, indoor gyms.
INBOUND
NEW 02 May: Laos will allow restaurants, shopping centres, retail and service
businesses to reopen on Mon 04 May, but people must wear face masks outside
and keep social distancing. This will continue until 17 May, but should new
infections be detected in 2 provinces, lockdown will be implemented once more >>
NEW 28 Apr: The Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association met with the government to
convey their concerns and issues, many of which will take a long time to resolve >>
NEW 30 Apr: Laos’ Q1 domestic and foreign visitors totalled 886,440, representing a
17% downturn YoY, with more than $450,000 USD lost in the first two months of
2020 >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 51% in
2020, with a loss of $0.22 billion USD in revenue and 23,800 jobs >>
15 Apr: Lockdown extended by 14 days until 03 May >>
03 Apr: Tourism businesses will have a tax deferral for 3 months from April, the
government announced, as part of fiscal measures to help the economy >>
29 Mar: Laos will be under lockdown, with international and interprovincial
borders closed to all travellers from 30 Mar to 19 Apr >>
24 Feb: Laos could lose up to $20 - 25 million USD from travel cancellations.
However, this is likely to increase if other tourists also stop visiting the country >>
OUTBOUND
To be updated as news comes in.
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MALAYSIA
Estimated RM3.3 billion in losses
TRAVEL Passengers not allowed to enter Malaysia (except Malaysian nationals &
RESTRICTIONS
permanent residents).
LOCKDOWN “Movement Control Order” in place until 12 May. From 4 May, majority of
STATUS
businesses nationwide will be able to reopen under a “Conditional Movement
Control Order (CMCO)”, subject to fulfilling certain social distancing conditions.
However, in Pahang, Sarawak, Negri Sembilan, Sabah and Kedah states the CMCO
implementation will be delayed. Schools closed, reopening date not set.
MALAYSIA
100 90.00 90.00 89.00 86.00 85.00 87.00
80.00 81.00 83.00 83.00
80
60
68.00 66.00 66.00 65.00
63.00 63.00 60.00
40 54.00 54.00 55.00
20
0
24 Feb 2 Mar 9 Mar 16 Mar 23 Mar 30 Mar 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27-Apr
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
% of people in each country who say they are: avoiding physical contact with tourists
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
NEW 03 May: Many of Malaysia’s states have questioned the relaxation of the national
lockdown, and many have decided to impose their own modified regulations or
delay it altogether >>
NEW 01 May: Malaysia will begin to ease their lockdown (MCO) on 4 May, with many
businesses allowed to reopen. However, some leisure and recreational activities
will still not be allowed to open and schools will remain closed >>
NEW 30 Apr: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has called
for banks to simplify loan procedures for SMEs >>
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NEW 29 Apr: AirAsia resumed some of their domestic flight routes, from Kuala Lumpur
to Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Kuching, Miri, Sandakan, Kota Bharu, Penang and
selected routes in Sarawak/ Sabah states >>
NEW 29 Apr: Bank Negara has allocated RM5 billion for financing loans to SMEs to help
them sustain operations and maintain jobs >>
NEW 28 Apr: AirAsia will implement new travel procedures, including the obligatory
wearing of face masks by passengers, allowing only one piece of cabin baggage,
temperature checks and social distancing at check-in counters >>
NEW 27 Apr: AirAsia is trialling PPE equipment for cabin crew on flights >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 51% in
2020, with a loss of $4.236 billion USD in revenue and 220,500 jobs >>
24 Apr: Malindo Air will recommence its domestic flights from KLIA and Subang
Airport with one daily flight to each domestic destination in its network. Pax must
wear face masks on board >>
23 Apr: Lockdown has been extended until 12 May, the 3rd extension >>
22 Apr: Tourism Malaysia has started its own tourism themed music video
competition >>
22 Apr: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has asked travel industry
stakeholders to create innovative domestic tourism programmes in rural areas and
those less promoted. The ministry is also looking into online training and has
asked for allowances to do so >>
22 Apr: Penang has established a special taskforce to generate a tourism strategy
for recovery as tourism contribution is 49% of the state’s GDP >>
19 Apr: Former MATTA President has said that industry players must start planning
to how to attract visitors again by providing assurances the country is safe, as well
as cancellation options >>
17 Apr: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) forecasts losses of RM3.3
billion in room revenue for H1 2020, and only a 30% average occupancy this year.
Total losses due to room cancellations is RM75.7 million from Jan to Mar 2020,
with the states of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah the worst affected. MAH have
asked for further subsidies from the government >>
17 Apr: AirAsia plans to resume its domestic flights in Malaysia on 29 Apr, starting
with key routes and eventually expanding to include international ones once the
border reopens >>
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14 Apr: MATTA issued a statement that urged MAVCOM, the Malaysian Aviation
Commission, to protect consumers’ refunds and ensure that airlines payout refunds
within a specified timeframe, as well as to consider providing financial assistance
to airlines >>
10 Apr: The Movement Control Order has been extended by 2 more weeks until
April 28 >>
08 Apr: Tourism Malaysia plans to start promoting the country again from Sep
2020 and until then, focus will be on domestic tourism. It will co-organise virtual
and physical fairs, and ask MICE organisers to hold events domestically, host fam
trips and support tour operators >>
08 Apr: 31 hotels have been gazetted as quarantine centres >>
07 Apr: MATTA has welcomed the additional stimulus package for SMEs, saying
“the new wage subsidy tiering will help to ease company cash flow problems and
help retain more employees.” >>
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 >>
04 Apr: AirAsia have opened up an e-commerce platform called OURSHOP to help
small traders in Malaysia get online and sell their wares during the lockdown
period >>
30 Mar: Malaysian government admits that airlines need specific measures
different to those from the stimulus packages already released, but what this
would entail not mentioned >>
27 Mar: MATTA have expressed disappointment at the government’s new stimulus
package, announced on 27 Mar. It said that “tourism-related businesses have
indicated a possible downsizing of staff from anywhere between 70% and 90%
over the coming few months to simply survive.” >>
27 Mar: The Malaysian government announced a new economic stimulus package
valued at RM250 billion, including some support for the travel industry:
• 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
>>
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18 Mar: The Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign has been cancelled >>
11 Mar: Malaysia Airlines have reduced 10% of salaries and allowance for all senior
management for the next 3 months >>
05 Mar: New targets for domestic tourism have been set by the Ministry of
Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC): 92.8 million tourists with a spend of RM76.9
billion vs 2019's 85.2 million and RM68.5 billion respectively >>
27 Feb: The Malaysian government’s stimulus package details have been released,
and will support the tourism industry with the following measures:
• $4.75 billion USD relief package
• Working capital fund for small and medium sized companies
• Monthly cash aid for taxi drivers, tourist bus drivers
• RM1,000 personal tax break for domestic spend
• RM100 digital voucher to spend
• Postponement of income tax payments, 15% discount in electricity bills for
hotels, travel agents, airlines, shopping malls, convention centres
• Malaysia Airports to cut rental for tenants, landing charges and parking
fees at airports >>
OUTBOUND
NEW 28 Apr: AirAsia X, the airline’s long-haul division, released their Q1 results,
showing a drop of 25% YoY >>
24 Apr: The Health Ministry has hinted that border controls will not be lifted once
the lockdown is lifted. This could take weeks or even “months” >>
22 Apr: Malaysia Airlines has issued a directive that all pax should now wear their
own face masks on domestic, international and charter flights >>
17 Apr: A merger between AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines could be an option to save
the two airlines, according to a Malaysian senior minister >>
11 Apr: Tony Fernandes of AirAsia has issued a statement calling for customers to
accept credit notes instead of refunds for their cancelled flights to ensure that they
can continue to operate >>
08 Apr: MATTA calls for airlines to give full refunds to customers in a timely
manner to avoid stress for travel agents >>
08 Apr: 13.6 million seats have been cancelled (equivalent to 12.3% of annual
scheduled seats) according to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) >>
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07 Apr: Malindo Air have stopped all flight operations and asked the majority of its
staff to take unpaid leave from April >>
07 Apr: A takeover bid for Malaysia Airlines of $2.5 billion USD has been received
from Golden Skies Ventures who would reposition MAS as a premium long-haul
airline >>
05 Apr: The Malaysian Aviation Commission has recommended that government
assistance to airlines be a last resort and that its main objective should be to
maintain essential air connectivity and protect aviation employees >>
02 Apr: AirAsia is in discussion with the Malaysian government to gain a loan to
ease cash flow. Tony Fernandes, co-founder of the airline, did not rule out a
merger with other airlines >>
02 Apr: Malaysia Airlines will reinstate some of its international flights to allow
Malaysian travellers overseas to return home >>
27 Mar: AirAsia Group is suspending the majority of its flights from 28 Mar to 31
May. Management and senior employees have agreed to paycuts from 100% to
15% >>
27 Mar: Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) have downgraded their forecast
for Malaysia’s passenger traffic from between 36.2% to 38.1% (67.7 million to 69.7
million) in 2020. 7.3 million seats had been cancelled for Malaysian carriers as of
26 Mar >>
10 Mar: Outbound travel agents have an estimated liability of RM500 million
(118.1 million USD) for tour packages, according to MATTA >>
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MYANMAR
500,000 tourism workers may lose jobs
TRAVEL All visa issuances suspended. All international flights are suspended (IATA).
RESTRICTIONS
LOCKDOWN Schools closed. Residents urged to stay inside and work from home where
STATUS
possible, wearing a face mask if going outside. Mandalay under lockdown with
non-essential businesses to close, some townships in Yangon under strict
measures for movement. These restrictions should be in place until at least 15
May. Yangon curfew city-wide from 10pm – 4am until 18 Jun. Gatherings of 5
people and above prohibited. Localised lockdowns of buildings and streets with
confirmed cases of COVID-19.
INBOUND
NEW 02 May: A 2nd fund of $142.8 million USD is set to be created by the government to
help struggling businesses >>
NEW 30 Apr: More than 500,000 tourism workers may lose their jobs, according to the
Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA). They predict at least 6 months for
just 10% of tourism operations to start again, whilst 9 months for all to be open
once more, whilst they don’t see normality returning until 2023 >>
NEW 26 Apr: The ban on entry from other nationalities has been extended until 15 May
>>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 48% in
2020, with a loss of $0.691 billion USD in revenue and 245,200 jobs >>
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 >>
12 Apr: The ban on international flights has been extended to 30 Apr >>
06 Apr: All civil servants are banned from travelling during Thingyan (Myanmar
New Year). State and regional governments have ordered citizens to stay at home
from 10 – 19 Apr >>
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02 Apr: All international commercial flights cancelled until 13 Apr. Ministry of
Tourism forecasts international arrivals to fall by 50% in 2020 >>
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 >>
14 Mar: The Ayeyarwady region has banned tour groups from visiting the beaches
at Chaungtha, Ngwesaung and Gawyingi Island >>
27 Feb: The Myanmar Tourism Federation says that “The virus will affect not just
the tourism sector, but also transportation, rentals, restaurants, and so on. It could
reduce revenue by 40 to 50 percent or more.” They are urging the government to
make plans to mitigate the effect on the tourism industry in Myanmar >>
22 Feb: Entry into Myanmar from Chinese tourists has dropped by 30%, according
to the Yangon Region government ethnic Karen Affairs Minister Naw Pan Thinzar
Myo. The number of tourists visiting Myanmar from other countries fell by 50% >>
OUTBOUND
19 Apr: Myanmar National Airline are temporarily suspending all domestic and
international flights until 30 Apr >>
02 Apr: $800,000 USD of travel packages have been cancelled between the end of
Jan to mid-March, according to the Union of Myanmar Travel Association >>
12 Mar: Almost all of the 100,000 air tickets which are usually issued for the
Thingyan holidays in Myanmar have been cancelled, according to Daw Hla Darli
Khin, managing director at Tour De Myanmar Travels and Tour. The agents face
issues getting the refunds back from airlines >>
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PHILIPPINES
Worst case losses could reach $3.1 billion USD
TRAVEL Temporary ban on foreigners entering from 22 Mar. Filipinos not permitted to
RESTRICTIONS
travel as tourists (Department of Tourism)
LOCKDOWN “Enhanced community quarantine” in Manila, Cebu, Davao and many other major
STATUS
cities/ provinces until 15 May. Selected industries allowed to be opened from 1
May. Those below 21 or older than 60 to have limited movement. General
Community Quarantines also in place in other areas of the Philippines, with laxer
restrictions and more businesses allowed to open.
PHILIPPINES
100
81.00 80.00 82.00 80.00 82.00 82.00
72.00 73.00 75.00
80 69.00
60 69.00
66.00 65.00 68.00 64.00 64.00
61.00
40
46.00 46.00 48.00
20
0
24 Feb 2 Mar 9 Mar 16 Mar 23 Mar 30 Mar 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27-Apr
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
% of people in each country who say they are: avoiding physical contact with tourists
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
NEW 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
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• PHP 1.5 billion: fund that can be used by private sector for their activities
>>
NEW 01 May: The Tourism Minister has called for stricter health protocols for MICE to
position the Philippines as a “premier destination” >>
NEW 01 May: The Tourism Ministry will focus on domestic tourism first, followed by
short-haul within ASEAN >>
NEW 30 Apr: Local airlines have asked the government for financial support to help
them with operational costs and ticket refunds >>
NEW 28 Apr: Some industries will be allowed to reopen in Metro Manila, such as dental
clinics, construction and media and private businesses under the Enhanced
Community Quarantine (ECQ) areas, whilst businesses such as spa services would
be able to reopen in areas under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ). Rules
have been put in place to restrict movement of those people under 21 or above 60.
Travel agents should remain closed even in areas under GCQ >>
NEW 27 Apr: 79% of respondents in a survey conducted on the Philippines hotel sector
has said that they expect government support, which they would prefer as
subsidies and payouts. 63% feel that international MICE demand may never
recover >>
25 Apr: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines announced that all
flights will remain cancelled until 15 May >>
24 Apr: Duterte has extended the lockdown in Metro Manila and other high risk
areas, including the provinces of Davao, Cebu and Iloilo, although measures will
be slightly relaxed in less affected areas of the Philippines >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 47% in
2020, with a loss of $4.481 billion USD in revenue and 548,300 jobs >>
23 Apr: MICE industry players are calling on the government to prioritise the
recovery of the MICE sector as business travellers are more purposeful than leisure
travellers >>
17 Apr: AirAsia Philippines plans to resume its domestic flights in the Philippines
on 1 May >>
15 Apr: The Department of Tourism issued a statement that they will continue to
support hard hit tourism players. They will communicate with banks to provide
rehabilitation funding, has extended employer payments to Social Security System,
Pag-IBIG Fund and PhilHealth, and will look at deferred corporate income tax
payments. Displaced workers are also able to claim a new 5,000-8,000 PHP wage
subsidy created for middle class workers employed by small businesses >>
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13 Apr: Philippine Airlines has announced plans to resume selected domestic
routes over the coming weeks, but there will be no flights to/ from Clark Intl
Airport for the remainder of April >>
09 Apr: The government has secured 209 hotel and 11,549 rooms to use for
returning Filipinos as quarantine accommodation >>
09 Apr: AirAsia Philippines has cancelled flights until the end of April following the
extended lockdown period >>
08 Apr: Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have also cancelled flights until the
end of April >>
07 Apr: The Enhanced Community Quarantine of Luzon will be extended until 30
Apr >>
07 Apr: The Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board will waive
participation fees for all international fairs, exhibitions and roadshows in 2020 and
2021. Accreditation fees will also be subject to a moratorium >>
04 Apr: National Economic and Development report released shows that the loss of
tourism revenue could be 77.5 – 156.9 billion PHP ($1.5 - $3.1 billion USD) >>
03 Apr: Travel restrictions could wipe out $3.5 billion in revenues, with 420,000
jobs likely to be lost from the Philippines’ aviation sector and a 36% drop in
passengers, according to IATA. The Air Carriers Association of the Philippines
wrote to the government on 25 Mar to request financial aid >>
19 Mar: Philippines will stop issuing visas to foreigners worldwide with a total ban
on incoming foreign visitors of all nationalities. Filipinos travelling as tourists
barred from leaving the country >>
10 Mar: 30-50,000 employees in the tourism sector could lose their jobs if
Coronavirus lasts until June and visitor arrivals could be down by 1.42 million (last
year 8.24 million visited the Philippines) >>
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 >>
04 Mar: Tourism arrivals are down 41% in February, according to Tourism Secretary
Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. "We're bleeding already," said Tourism Congress of the
Philippines (TCP) president Jose Clemente III. "[...] the objective now is just to
survive until the situation gets better." >>
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24 Feb: Domestic travel should be the new focus with reduced rates. 40+ hotels
and resorts have agreed to cut room rates by up to 50% until Aug, whilst there will
be a 20 - 30% reduction in airfares from Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and
AirAsia Philippines >>
24 Feb: Philippines may lose 1.2 million Chinese visitors in 2020, Deputy Speaker
and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said. Up to $1,200 in local spending lost
per Chinese tourist.
“The number of Chinese holidaymakers this year could plunge to as low as
500,000, possibly even less, depending on how long the virus lingers,” Pimentel
said >>
OUTBOUND
13 Apr: Philippine Airlines has announced plans to resume selected international
routes from May onwards, to Japan, USA, Canada, Guam, Australia, UK, Singapore,
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Taipei,
Macau, Saudi Arabia and Korea, subject to government restrictions >>
24 Mar: Philippine Airlines has suspended all flight operations from 26 Mar, due to
travel restrictions, collapse in travel appetite and staffing challenges >>
17 Mar: All Cebu Pacific flights have been cancelled from 19 Mar to 14 Apr >>
27 Feb: Philippines banned from visiting South Korea >>
7 Feb: PTTA Travel Expo took place in Manila, but received less than the usual
number of visitors >>
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SINGAPORE
Forecasts a drop of 30% in visitors in 2020
TRAVEL All short-term visitors to Singapore are barred from entering the country from 23
RESTRICTIONS
Mar (IATA).
LOCKDOWN Most workplaces closed except essential services. Some business sectors (e.g.
STATUS
barbers) to reopen on 12 May. Schools and higher education institutes to action
home-based learning. Residents encouraged to stay home from 7 Apr to 1 Jun.
Individuals must wear a face mask outside of the home.
SINGAPORE
80
60
40
20
0
21 Feb 28 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24-Apr
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
% of people in each country who say they are: avoiding physical contact with tourists
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
SI N GA PORE TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS
CHA N GE % YOY
3.9%
SINGAPORE
-51.2%
-84.7%
Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20
Source: Singapore Analytics Tourism Network
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NEW 02 May: Some businesses will be allowed to resume on 12 May, with other circuit
breaker measures loosened next week >>
NEW 01 May: Singapore is in talks with Australia, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand
to facilitate the resumption of international travel necessary for maintaining global
supply chains >>
NEW 01 May: Foreign workers newly recovered from COVID-19 moved into the cruise
ship SuperStar Gemini as temporary accommodation >>
NEW 30 Apr: Singapore’s arrival numbers in March fell to just 240,000, an 85% drop
YoY, with Q1 figures overall down 43% >>
24 Apr: IATA’s revised estimates show that passenger demand could fall by 48% in
2020, with a loss of $6.732 billion USD in revenue and 169,000 jobs >>
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 >>
21 Apr: Singapore’s “Circuit Breaker” lockdown has been extended until 1 Jun >>
15 Apr: Sojern’s latest report on travel trends shows an interest in travelling to
Singapore from long-haul destinations such as Europe, USA and Australia. The
regional market also looks promising, particularly over the December period >>
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 >>
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31 Mar: The SG Clean quality assurance will be rolled out to tourism and lifestyle
sectors in the island. Ran by the Singapore Tourism Board and Enterprise
Singapore, they aim to certify 570 hotels, attractions and tourism companies to
help visitors’ and locals’ peace of mind >>
28 Mar: 7,500+ hotel rooms have been booked up by the Singaporean government
for returning Singaporeans and long-term residents to serve their Stay-Home
Notice of 14 days >>
26 Mar: Singapore released its Resilience Package, with many measures supporting
the tourism industry, including:
• 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 >>
22 Mar: All short term visitors to Singapore are barred from entering the country
from 23:59 on 23 Mar >>
18 Mar: Cruise arrivals to Singapore have fallen by 52% since the start of the
outbreak. STB have developed a Cruise Development Fund to provide enhanced
support for companies to boost cruise tourism >>
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 >>
11 Feb: Singapore Tourism Board says that they are expecting a daily loss of
18,000 - 20,000 visitors, with a forecasted fall in tourism arrivals of 30% >>
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OUTBOUND
25 Apr: Singapore Airlines has extended its flight cancellations until the end of
June, accounting for around 96% of its scheduled services >>
22 Apr: Jetstar Asia has announced that it will restart a limited number of
international flights in SE Asia to aid repatriation >>
18 Apr: Changi Airport saw a 70.7% drop in passenger numbers in March YoY, with
just 1.65 million pax. The last 7 days of March saw a 98% drop in pax movements
YoY >>
15 Apr: Singapore Airlines group’s carriers recorded a 60.4% drop in passengers in
March, with Singapore Airlines’ passenger carriage down 57.2% vs last year and
SilkAir’s down 71.1% >>
14 Apr: Genting Cruise Lines will enhance their safety and hygiene protocols for its
Dream Cruises and Star Cruises ships, as well as strict health screening prior to
embarkation and disembarkation >>
09 Apr: Jetstar Asia will extend its flight suspension until 19 May, making a total of
8 weeks suspended >>
07 Apr: Singaporean residents who ignore travel advisories and leave Singapore
will not be able to claim under insurers should they be hospitalised >>
06 Apr: Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 will be suspended for 18 months from
1 May, with other operations to be consolidated across the terminals. The
suspension of T2 will allow them to accelerate the building works they had
planned, with the completion date being able to be brought forward by possibly
one year. Changi is also considering suspending operations at T4 temporarily >>
31 Mar: Singapore Airlines has released its reduced schedule for April, with flights
to London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Zurich, Sydney, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh
City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Chongqing, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo only >>
27 Mar: Singapore Airlines is aiming to raise $15 billion SGD with a combination of
issuing new shares and issuing mandatory convertible bonds >>
23 Mar: Singapore Airlines has implemented further paycuts for management and
compulsory no-pay leave. It is cutting 96% of its scheduled capacity til end Apr,
ground 138/ 147 SIA and SilkAir aircraft >>
22 Mar: Scoot, the low-cost carrier arm of Singapore Airlines, has grounded more
than 50 destinations until mid-Apr at least, whilst European routes to Berlin and
Athens will be suspend til end May >>
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19 Mar: NATAS Travel Fair has been cancelled from its postponed date of 1 – 3
May. They are reviewing the status of the August fair >>
17 Mar: Singaporeans have been asked to defer all non-essential travel for 30
days >>
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THAILAND
Could lose up to 1.93 trillion THB in lost tourism revenue
TRAVEL Flights into Thailand are suspended until 31 May (IATA).
RESTRICTIONS
LOCKDOWN Certain types of businesses will be allowed to reopen from 03 May, including
STATUS
hotels, airports, train and bus stations, eateries, small wholesale and retail shops,
food markets, hairdressers, public parks, all subject to social distancing. Schools
remain closed until 1 July.
THAILAND
100
80
60
40
20
0
24 Feb 2 Mar 9 Mar 16 Mar 23 Mar 30 Mar 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Apr 27-Apr
% of people in each country who say they are "very" or "somewhat" scared that they
will contract COVID-19
% of people in each country who say they are: avoiding physical contact with tourists
Source: YouGOV
INBOUND
T HA I L A N D TOU RI SM A RRI VA LS
CHA N GE % YOY
2.5%
THAILAND
-42.8%
-76.1%
Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20
Source: Ministry of Tourism & Sports Thailand 1, 2
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NEW 02 May: Domestic travellers to Phitsanulok, Buri Ram, Krabi, Trang and Nakhon
Phanom airports will be quarantined, according to the Department of Airports.
Various measures are in place across the different provinces, including from
medical certificates required for entry to Krabi >>
NEW 02 May: Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, AirAsia and Thai Vietjet Air reinstated domestic
flights between 14 provinces on 1 May. Additional safety measures have been put
into place at the airports, including:
• Perspex barriers to block contact between passengers and airport officials
• Disinfection of all contact points, as well as luggage
• Airport staff must wear face shields, masks and gloves
• Pax must pass through thermal scanners
• Shuttle buses to/ from aircraft should have a maximum of 20 pax (instead
of 60) >>
NEW 02 May: The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has urged the government
to extend Social Security Fund (SSF) compensation payments to tourism workers
for more than the standard 90 days, as well as increase the budget for soft loans to
tourism operators >>
NEW 02 May: The Thai island of Koh Larn (80km away from Bangkok) has re-opened for
domestic travel – but will still not accept overnight visitors >>
NEW 01 May: Certain types of businesses will be allowed to reopen from 03 May,
including hotels, airports, train and bus stations, eateries, small wholesale and
retail shops, food markets, hairdressers, public parks, all subject to social
distancing >>
NEW 30 Apr: The government is looking at Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan as pilot
destinations for high-end, long-stay tourists, looking for “disease-free” packages.
They anticipate that these could launch in Q4 2020 >>
NEW 28 Apr: Bangkok Airways will resume their flights Bangkok – Koh Samui from 15
May, with Koh Samui airport expected to reopen on 15 May >>
NEW 27 Apr: The incoming flight ban to Thailand has been extended until 31 May >>
26 Apr: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport will be reopened on 1 May. Airport officials
advised that hygiene steps have been taken, and that extensive repairs have taken
place >>
25 Apr: TAT Governor expects that the Thai government will allow travel within
Thailand first, e.g. one-day trips to nearby provinces within 100-200km, with
limited numbers of tourists at attractions, but is waiting for the Cabinet’s
resolution next week >>
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