SINGAPORE, 20 April 2022: Manila, Philippines, is the top hot spot in Southeast Asia according to booking trends monitored by Travelport during the first quarter of the year.
A global technology company powering bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide released its latest trend data on Monday that identifies the top 10 hot spots in Southeast Asia that are gaining bookings as travel restrictions ease.
Manila came out top due to easy entry rules followed by Singapore. Thailand’s capital Bangkok, gained the third spot while booking trends placed the Thai beach resort Phuket in eighth place.
Travelport excluded Brunei and Myanmar from its booking data analysis. Both countries lagged far behind in easing restrictions, while Myanmar’s recovery remains a non-starter due to civil unrest and opposition to the ruling military junta following the 1 February 2021 coup.
According to Travelport’s booking data, the top 10 destinations in Southeast Asia for international travellers to visit in 2022 are:
- Manila (Philippines)
- Singapore (Singapore)
- Bangkok (Thailand)
- Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
- Jakarta (Indonesia)
- Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
- Hanoi (Vietnam)
- Phuket (Thailand)
- Bali (Indonesia)
- Angeles/Mabalacat (Philippines)
Travelport reports that for the first quarter of 2022, international flight bookings to Southeast Asia showed an upward trajectory with the Philippines taking the lead by regaining 42% of its international bookings when compared to the first quarter of 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Philippines and Thailand were among the earliest countries in Southeast Asia to ease border rules, although Thailand’s travel industry said more should have been done to streamline entry requirements.
However, in the first quarter of 2022, these two countries alone represent over half (51%) of all international flight bookings to the region, according to Travelport findings.
The Philippines fully reopened its borders to vaccinated travellers on 10 February. Within a week of the announcement, international flight bookings to the country rose by 114%. By 28 February, the country saw a 294% increase in daily flight bookings.
Thailand reintroduced its Test & Go programme on 1 February, which required tourists to have a negative PCR test for entry and a subsequent antigen test on the fifth day of travel. In the 24 hours following that announcement, international flight bookings to Thailand grew by 37%. On 7 March, the Thai government further revised the measures, dropping the testing requirements on the fifth day. With that change, international flight bookings grew 128% compared to booking on the first announcement.
The top five countries travelling to Southeast Asia are the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Solo travellers made up 44% of international flight bookings for the first quarter of 2022.
About Travelport
Travelport is a global technology company that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide. Headquartered in the UK it operates in more than 180 countries worldwide.
