The region welcomed over 123 million visitors in 2024, a 30.6 per cent jump from the previous year, putting it firmly on track to breach pre-pandemic levels again before the end of the decade. With tourism contributing 12 per cent of Southeast Asia’s economy and employing 4 per cent of its workforce, the sector remains one of the region’s most powerful economic engines.
Before Covid-19, Southeast Asia’s tourism earnings had more than doubled in less than a decade – from US$68.6 billion in 2010 to US$147.6 billion by 2019 – as international arrivals surged past 143 million.
Since the world has reopened, a new kind of traveller has emerged: one seeking sustainability over excess. Surveys show eight in 10 global travellers say it’s important to travel more sustainably, with over 90 per cent of Asia-Pacific tourists actively looking for greener options.
This is where…
