In Singapore, a back-of-the-envelope calculation shows that around S$91 million will be spent on tickets alone for Taylor Swift’s concerts over six nights. This is based on the median price of S$228 (ticket prices range from S$108 to S$348) and on the assumption that some 400,000 people will attend the concerts. Not only that, but…
In the first half of 2023, Vietnam welcomed over 5.6 million foreign visitors, an increase of 282% compared to the same period in 2022. This achievement has put Vietnam on track to exceed its target of welcoming 8 million foreign visitors in 2023. VNAT announced that the country welcomed 975,000 international visitors in June 2023,…
Indonesia has recently announced that it will be revoking visa-free entry for all countries except for those belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprising Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and Timor Leste. This means that citizens of 159 countries and territories who were previously eligible for…
The National Assembly has officially passed a bill amending and supplementing several provisions of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam. A notable change is that the duration of electronic visas (eVisas) will be extended from 30 to 90 days.…
Malaysia is inching closer to becoming the first country in South-East Asia to impose widespread curbs on short-stay rentals like Airbnb. This move comes after one of its most popular holiday hotspots, Penang Island, restricted such accommodation due to unruly tourists. The nation had been looking into regulating short-term rentals for several years due to…
Thailand is taking steps to boost its tourism industry by shortening the visa approval period for Chinese tourists, Thailand’s largest source market which took 20% of total international visitors in 2019. The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has urged the Department of Consular Affairs to reduce the visa approval period from up to 15…
In the latest forecast from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it is said that global airline profits will be higher than originally forecast. The number of people taking flights will be close to pre-pandemic levels. According to IATA, about 4.35 billion passengers are expected to fly this year, close to the record 4.54 billion…
Summer, the peak season of the year in Vietnam, has arrived. To breakthrough in the number of tourists and revenue during this time, destinations and businesses need to grasp all key information about tourists, the end-users in a tourism product/service. Though this is the peak season for Vietnamese domestic tourists, should we equate an approach…
Dubai’s ruler announced new plans to develop the man-made island of Palm Jebel Ali, double the size of the famous island Palm Jumeirah. The island is part of a project to build artificial islands shaped like palm trees. The Palm Islands, consisting of three islands Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira, an international…
The Japanese government is trying to attract wealthy tourists to the country by implementing several initiatives. Although accounting for only 0.9% of the total number of tourists to Japan in 2019, the super-rich foreign travelers contributed up to 11.5% of the total spending of international tourists in the country. Therefore, in order to attract more…