Will Japan become one of the top travel destinations in 2023 after it reopens to independent travelers? — Image credit: Yongyuan / Getty Images via ETX Studio

Sunday 02 October 2022 08:15 MYT

NEW YORK, Oct. 2 — Nightly hotel room rates are expected to rise by 10% in Paris and 8.2% in New York in 2023, while prices at Asian properties will rise by 3.9% in 2023. likely to stay. Singapore. And after the pandemic curtailed or even halted his activities for two and a half years, the continent’s airlines are now putting planes back in the air as border restrictions are lifted. Overall, next year could be a breakthrough year for tourism in Asia.

Japan has announced it will reopen to all foreign travelers, allowing individual tourism for tourism to resume from 11 October. You will no longer be required to present a vaccination certificate or negative test result upon entry. Vietnam has reactivated visa waivers for stays of less than 15 days and Covid testing on arrival is no longer mandatory. Similarly, Hong Kong no longer requires foreign travelers to quarantine on arrival.

In short, Asia’s tourism mogul is preparing to welcome visitors after two and a half years of the pandemic. The number of available seats on flights to Southeast Asia jumped 200% in September compared to the same month last year, according to airline capacity analysis site OAG. However, supply has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels and is estimated at -28.5% compared to 2019. Yet many signs point to an increasing number of tourists being drawn to the Asian continent. For example, Thai Airways decided to increase the number of flights to Europe, and Vietnam Airlines resumed its Paris-Hanoi route.

And hotel prices won’t skyrocket, unlike in other regions like Paris, where prices can rise by as much as 10%, according to a report from a travel management company. In Asia, interest rate increases will be minimal. So it’s a good time to visit Singapore (+3.9%), Tokyo (+3%) or Hong Kong (+1.3%). By comparison, hotel prices can be 9% more expensive in Stockholm (Sweden) and 8.5% more expensive in Dublin (Ireland). Hotel prices in the Americas are also projected to rise. +8.2% in New York, +7.7% in São Paulo (Brazil) and +7.3% in San Francisco. In Dubai, on the other hand, interest rates could rise +7%.

If 2023 is to be the year of recovery for tourism in the Asian continent, its effectiveness will still be limited by several factors. First, the war in Ukraine extended flight times to some destinations. And second, travel restrictions are still in place in China, imposing quarantines on arrival for business visitors. This is the only category of visitors allowed into the country, along with visitors invited from Chinese universities (on presentation of a letter). — ETX Studio