The list of featured destinations in this newsletter will rotate weekly, the remaining destinations can be found on our webpage.ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Development Plan
led by Department of Tourism - Philippines
Share your visions and perspectives for the future ASEAN Tourism — whether it is about trends on the rise, key opportunities and disruptions, destination marketing methods that will change the game, and more — by completing this brief survey >
This survey will help ensure that the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan Post-2025, guided by the Philippines as the Lead Country Coordinator, reflects the priorities of tourism stakeholders. So make your voice heard now!
Play a role in ASEAN tourism's future direction >
ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Development Plan
led by Department of Tourism - Philippines
Share your visions and perspectives for the future ASEAN Tourism — whether it is about trends on the rise, key opportunities and disruptions, destination marketing methods that will change the game, and more — by completing this brief survey >
This survey will help ensure that the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan Post-2025, guided by the Philippines as the Lead Country Coordinator, reflects the priorities of tourism stakeholders. So make your voice heard now!
Play a role in ASEAN tourism's future direction > |
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Destination Headlines:- Dragon Boat Festival: China reports 10.8% increase in inter-regional trips. China Daily (Jun 2)
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Travel Updates: - China to grant visa-free entry for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait & Oman starting June 9. VisaGuide (May 28)
Travel Policy Updates: - China will allow nationals from Saudia Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman visa-free entry for stays up to 30 days. This policy will be tested starting June 9, 2025 and will last until June 8, 2026.
Nationals of Azerbaijan and China will be able to visit the other country visa-free for stays up to 30 days. VisaGuide, VisaGuide (May 30) - China has launched ASEAN visa for ASEAN member states and its observer Timor-Leste. It offers five-year multiple-entry visas for individuals and their family whose purpose is business enabling a maximum stay of 180 days. Ministry of Foreign Affairs The People's Republic of China (Jun 3)
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Destination Headlines:- Tourism Administration announced US $334M booster to southern Chinese Taipei tourism. Taipei Times (May 31)
- Japanese tourist arrivals in Chinese Taipei expected to rise by 300,000 in 2025. Focus Taiwan (May 30)
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Travel Updates: - Taipei ranks 7th on Agoda's "Asia's Top Slow Travel Destinations". Taiwan News (May 29)
Travel Policy Updates: - Chinese Taipei has launched a six-month "digital nomad visitor visa" programme for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries, as long as the digital workers can meet certain financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Dec 26, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Chinese tourists returning to Japan with new travel style. Kyodo News (May 31)
- Japanese outbound travellers below 1 million in April 2025. Travel Voice Japan (May 28)
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Travel Updates:- Singaporean travel app Traveloka enters Japan market. Nikkei Asia (May 29)
Travel Policy Updates: - Japan will begin pre-arrival screening of visa-free travellers starting in FY 2028. VisaGuide (May 19)
- Filipino tourists to Japan are advised to file visa applications 2 months before arrival due to rapid increase of visitor numbers. JPN Embassy (Jan 14)
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Destination Headlines:- Bukchon emerges as new shopping hot spot in Seoul for global tourists. Asia News Network (May 30)
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Travel Updates: - Agoda ranks Seoul 3rd in "Top Destinations for Slow Travel in Asia". The Korea Herald (May 29)
Travel Policy Updates: - Korea (ROK) launched its "Top-Tier" Visa programme on April 2, 2025 aimed at attracting top talent to Korea (ROK). Visa Guide (Apr 3)
- Korea (ROK) will temporarily abolish visa requirements for Chinese tourist groups, taking effect in Q3 2025 to boost the tourism industry. Visa Guide (Mar 20)
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Destination Headlines:- Package tours and hotel occupancy rate for April 2025 sees 12.1% and 4.7% Y-o-Y growth respectively. Government Information Bureau (May 29)
- Macao hotel sector workforce expands 7.2% Y-o-Y in 1Q25. AGB (May 28)
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Travel Updates: - MGTO, POP MART launch character-themed city walk across Macao. Macau Business (Jun 1)
Travel Policy Updates: - Per Jan 1, 2025, permanent residents of Zhuhai City and the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin are able to apply for a "one trip per week" permit for Macao. Under the policy, they can visit Macao once per calendar week, with a maximum stay of seven days per trip. The State Council (Nov 29, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Foreign tourist arrivals up 9%, Malaysia and Australians lead visitors. Jakarta Globe (Jun 2)
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Travel Updates: - IndiGo and Garuda Indonesia enter codeshare agreement for wider network access. The Economic Times (Jun 3)
- New rules for visa extensions in Indonesia: Mandatory personal appearance. Buch Dein Visum (May 29)
Travel Policy Updates: - Indonesia has updated their extension process for tourist and long-stay foreign nationals in Indonesia to require an online registration followed by an in-person interview. Bali Legals Group (May 29)
- Indonesia has relaxed its multiple-entry visa protocols allowing for foreign nationals to extend their stay two times at 60 days each. This will allow people to stay for 180 days from the time of entry into Indonesia. Directorate General of Immigration (May 15)
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Destination Headlines:- Agoda and Tourism Malaysia join forces ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026. TTG Asia (Jun 3)
- Malaysia receives over 10 million foreign visitors in Q1. VnExpress (Jun 2)
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Travel Updates: Travel Policy Updates: - Malaysia and China have agreed to further extend the visa-free agreement for five years until 2031; implementation of the extension will come into effect soon. Embassy of PRC in Malaysia (May 6)
- Citizens of Kosovo can now visit Malaysia for stays of up to 30 days visa exempt. Visa Guide (Apr 25)
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Destination Headlines:- Tourism's resurgence under Frasco earns 92% approval in 2024 survey. Manila Bulletin (May 31)
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Travel Updates: - Philippines grants visa-free entry to Indian tourists. VisaGuide (May 29)
Travel Policy Updates: - Nationals of India are able to enter the Philippines visa free for 14 days solely for tourism. They can not extend or convert to a different visa if they enter on the visa free scheme. Visa Guide (MAy 29)
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Destination Headlines:- Singapore and France sign new agreement to boost civil aviation ties. Travel Daily News (Jun 3)
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Travel Updates: - Changi Airport exploring resumption of direct flights between Singapore and Uzbekistan. The Straits Times (May 31)
Travel Policy Updates: - Singaporeans are required to apply for and obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before making a UK trip from Jan 8, 2025. The Straits Times (Jan 8)
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Destination Headlines:- Thailand records 1.75% drop in foreign visitors. VnExpress (May 28)
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Travel Updates: - Tourism Authority of Thailand and Grab launch joint travel promotion campaign. Travel Daily Media (Jun 2)
Travel Policy Updates: - The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) launched on May 1, 2025 to replace the paper-based arrival card given to international visitors to Thailand. Thailand Immigration Bureau (May 1)
- Thailand now requires proof of sufficient funds of foreign bank statement of at least 20,000 THB (600 USD$) or a letter of gurantee of said amount for tourist visa. Pattaya Mail (Mar 18)
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Destination Headlines: - Searches for Hanoi surge by 4,400% for National Day holiday. VnExpress (May 29)
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Travel Updates: - Hanoi ranked among world’s 15 most popular cities by tourists. Vietnam Net (Jun 1)
Travel Policy Updates: - Vietnam has launched a ten year golden visa to attract tourism and investment. The Nation (May 8)
- Vietnam applies visa exemption for citizens from 12 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Korea (ROK), Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) effective March 15, 2025 to March 14, 2028. Vietnam Travel (Mar 8)
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Travel Updates: - Cox's Bazar Airport poised to launch int'l flights in July. ZAWYA (May 27)
Travel Policy Updates: - Pakistanis can now obtain visas for Bangladesh online as it has relaxed visa conditions for the country. Islamabad Post (Jan 12)
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Destination Headlines:- Aviation industry accounts for 1.5% of India’s GDP, creates 7.7 million jobs. The New Indian Express (Jun 2)
- Air India targets 30% market share; to expand global footprint with new routes. CNBC (Jun 1)
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Travel Updates: Travel Policy Updates: - The Indian government has launched two special visas for international students: the e-student visa for students and the e-student-x visa for their dependents. Applicants must register on the 'Study in India' portal to apply for these visas, enabling them to pursue higher education in India. Live Mint (Jan 5)
- India has approved a special 30-day visa-free entry for Thai tourists until 31 December 2025, allowing one or two entries and a stay of up to 30 days without any visa fee. Embassy of India, Thailand (Feb 6)
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Destination Headlines:- Nepal sees surge in hotel and tourism investment; 18% rise in star hotels in one year. MyRepublica (Jun 1)
- Over 500,000 foreign tourists visit Nepal in five months. Rising Nepal Daily (Jun 2)
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Travel Updates: Travel Policy Updates: - Nepali citizens travelling through tour package and the members/employees of legal entities/organisations travelling to the gulf countries and Malaysia have to take approval from department of immigration prior their visit. DFA (Oct 3, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Queensland government unveils long-term tourism strategy Destination 2045. ABC News (Jun 2)
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Travel Updates: - Virgin Australia and Adelaide Airport launch Australian-first accessibility programme. Virgin Australia (Jun 3)
Travel Policy Updates: - Australia has introduced new updates to the Second Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417), allowing eligible travellers to extend their stay for an additional 12 months. Travel & Tour World (Feb 23)
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Destination Headlines:- Brent Hill steps down after 4 years at Tourism Fiji. Fiji Sun (Jun 3)
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Destination Headlines:- Hawaii's first-in-the-nation climate change tourist tax expected to generate nearly $100M annually. ABC7 (May 30)
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Destination Headlines:- Destination Canada unveils new tourism brand: ‘Canada, naturally.’ Travel Pulse (May 30)
- Toronto tourism eyes strong summer comeback despite dip in US visitors. Weekly Voice (Jun 1)
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Travel Updates: - British Columbia launches “Beautiful Seats” campaign in UK and Germany to promote tourism for FIFA World Cup 26™. Travel and Tour World (May 30)
- T’way Air enters North America with Vancouver route. Airways (May 28)
Travel Policy Updates: - IRCC extended the temporary public policy allowing for open work permits to be issued to applicants applying for PR, under the temporary resident to permanent resident pathways (TR to PR pathway), as per Dec 17 2024. CIC News (Jan 11)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has temporarily stopped accepting new applications from groups of five and community sponsors under the PSR Program as of November 29, 2024. This pause will remain in effect until December 31, 2025. Government of Canada (Nov 29, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Guest spending boosts US economy by a record $90 billion in 2024. Airbnb (May 29)
- Zurich airport chief sees rising demand for US travel. Swiss Info (May 31)
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Travel Updates: - Governor Hochul unveils new I LOVE NY summer tourism campaign. CBS 6 (May 29)
Travel Policy Updates: - DHS has rescined Romania's designation into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). USDHS (May 2)
- The U.S. Secretary of State has announced that they will begin to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, this change is to begin immediately. Visa Guide (Apr 7)
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| Europe, West Asia, Africa |
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Destination Headlines:- Government introduces immigration laws exempting some travellers from acquiring eTAs. Standard Media (May 31)
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Travel Updates: Travel Policy Updates: - Kenya now exempt some visitors from obtaining an eTA prior to entering the country. Nationals of the East African Community (EAC) can now enter Kenya visa-free for a stay not exceeding 180 days. For more comprehensive information check with Kenyan immigration serivces. Standard Media (May 31)
- Kenya grant eTA exemptions to all African countries (except Somalia and Libya), allowing visitors a two-month stay. Govt of Kenya (Jan 21)
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Destination Headlines:- Wego: 96% of Eid Al-Adha travel searches target international destinations. Travel Daily News (Jun 3)
- Saudi Arabia aims at 25% of leisure travellers from India by 2030. Business Standard (Jun 2)
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Travel Updates: - Saudi Arabia temporarily suspends block work visa quotas for 14 countries. Visa Guide (Jun 2)
- Hotel 101, Horizon Group to develop 10,000 rooms in Saudi Arabia. TTG Asia (Jun 2)
Travel Policy Updates: - Effective February 1, 2025, Saudi Arabia changed visa policy for visitors from 14 countries, issuing only single-entry visas for tourism, business, and family visits, and suspending the previous one-year multiple-entry visas indefinitely. Economic Times (Feb 8)
- Saudi Arabia scraps meningitis vaccine requirement for Umrah travellers, while polio vaccination is mandatory for Pakistani following surge in cases. Khaleej Times (Feb 6)
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Destination Headlines:- Spain's tourism sector could exceed €260 billion by 2025. WTTC (May 30)
- Number of foreign holidaymakers visiting Spain soared 10% in April, spending a total of 10.8 billion euros. SUR in English (Jun 3)
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Travel Updates: - Ibiza island to cap tourist cars through summer. Daily Sabah (Jun 1)
Travel Policy Updates: - The Spanish Council of Ministers approved a new Immigration Regulation to improve the integration of foreign citizens through three key areas: work, education, and family. European Commission (Nov 21, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Shaikha Al Nowais from UAE to Lead UN Tourism. Skift (May 30)
- UAE welcomes 29.2 million visitors so far in 2025. Cairo Scene (Jun 1)
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Travel Updates: - Some UAE hotels hit 100% occupancy amid Schengen, US visa delays. Khaleej Times (Jun 2)
- UAE Eid Al Adha travel bookings rise 15% as short-haul beach destinations surge. Arabian Business (May 28)
Travel Policy Updates: - UAE has launched the first phase of the Blue Visa Program, a new long-term visa dedicated to sustainability and environmental action professionals, offering a ten-year residency. UAE Govt (Mar 4)
- UAE lifts travel ban on travel to Lebanon for UAE nationals. They will need to register with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Twajudi service before departure. UAE MoFA (May 4)
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