Travel Updates: - IndiGo and Jetstar sign codeshare to ease travel between India, Australia and New Zealand. The Economic Times (Jul 15)
Travel Policy Updates: - The government of India has introduced e-visa for citizens of Kuwait effective from July 24, 2025. Kuwaiti travellers can apply for different visa categories including tourism, business, medical, conference, and AYUSH (for alternative medicine, inc. yoga and Ayurveda). Gulf News (Jul 13)
- 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)
Tags: Destination Headlines:- China reports surge in foreign tourists as summer vacation begins. China Daily (Jul 15)
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Travel Updates: - China’s visa-free policy to extend to Micronesia amid expanding ‘circle of friends’. Global Times (Jul 9)
Travel Policy Updates: - Starting July 16, 2025, holders of ordinary passports from China and Azerbaijan will be permitted to travel between the two countries without the requirement of a visa under a new bilateral agreement for up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within any 180-day period. Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (Jun 25)
- The Embassy of China in UAE has launched new online visa application system from June 30 where the applicant only needs to submit all of their documents online no paperwork involved; except payment, there is no online payment available yet. Gulf news (Jul 15)
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Destination Headlines:- Taipei ranked 2nd safest city to explore at night; No. 1 city for US digital nomads. Taiwan News; Taiwan News (Jul 11)
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Travel Updates: - Foreign internship eligibility expanded for accommodation sector. Focus Taiwan (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Chinese Taipei has introduced Online Arrival Card for foreign visitors to streamline the immigration process; effective from October 1, 2025. Buch dein Visum (Jul 14)
- Chinese Taipei extends visa-free entry for nationals of the Phillipines for one further year. Inquirer.net (Jun 15)
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Travel Updates: - Regent Hong Kong named the #1 City Hotel in Asia. PR Newswire (Jul 9)
- HK Express launches daily Hong Kong–Kota Kinabalu route. Travel Daily News (Jul 15)
Travel Policy Updates: - The visa-free period for nationals of Saudi Arabia to visit the HKSAR will be extended from 30 to 90 days, per January 15, 2025. Govt of HK (Jan 14)
- Hong Kong SAR citizens are now able to travel to Qatar for a a 30-day visa-free stay without needing to obtain a visa on arrival. VisaGuide (May 13)
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Destination Headlines:- Japan's Osaka was voted the world's most attractive tourism city this year, as reported by Yanolja Research. The Star (Jul 12)
- HIS has received more bookings of both domestic and overseas travels in the summer holiday period of 2025. Travel Voice Japan (Jul 9)
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Travel Updates:- Kyoto named most mindful destination of Asia, No. 10 in the world. Travel + Leisure (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Japan will begin pre-arrival screening of visa-free travellers starting in FY 2028. VisaGuide (May 19)
- Starting July 1, 2025 nationals of Peru will be able to visit Japan visa-free for short-term stays not greater than 90 consecutive days. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Jun 2)
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Destination Headlines:- Tech visionary Chae Hwi-young takes helm at Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST). Travel Daily News (Jul 15)
- Korean Air’s Q2 net profit up 13% on increased travel demand. The Korea Bizwire (Jul 11)
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Travel Updates: - KTO plans to launch travel package under the theme of "Korea Travel with K-Cheer Leaders". Maeil Business Newspaper (Jul 11)
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:- Cambodia sees rise in French tourist arrivals. Khmer Times (Jul 16)
- Siem Reap records nearly 2.9 million tourists in first half of 2025. Khmer Times (Jul 9)
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Travel Updates: - Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites added to UNESCO heritage list. CNN (Jul 13)
Travel Policy Updates: - From January 1, 2025, Cambodia has lowered the cost of its electronic visas. Tourist e-Visas now cost $30, down from $36; Business e-Visas are reduced to $35, down from $42. India Today (Jan 3)
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Destination Headlines:- Indonesia plans to develop Lake Toba with local involvement. Antara News (Jul 11)
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Travel Updates: Travel Policy Updates: - The European Union (EU) has announced a new visa policy for indonesian citizens allowing them for a multiple entry schengen visa when entering the EU countries for a second time. Antara News (Jul 14)
- Indonesia 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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Travel Updates: - Malaysia taps Alipay+ and Weixin Pay to boost tourist spending. Travel Daily News (Jul 10)
- Malaysia welcomes maiden flight of Loong Air’s new Xi’an-Kuala Lumpur route. Travel Daily Media (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Malaysia and China will implement a mutual visa-free policy agreement effective from July 17, 2025, allowing citizens of both countries to visit each other visa free for leisure travel, visiting relatives/friends, and business activities, with permitted stays of up to 30 days per entry and a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within a 180-day period. Embassy of PRC in Malaysia (Jul 10)
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Destination Headlines:- Sports events drive surge in travel bookings to Singapore, reports Trip.com. TTG Asia (Jul 11)
- SIA, Scoot passenger traffic up 4.5% in June on strong travel demand. The Business Times (Jul 15)
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Travel Updates: - Singapore Airlines, Mandai Wildlife Group form three-year partnership to boost tourism and conservation. TTG Asia (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Singapore and Timor-Leste reached a mutual agreement on visa waiver: Holders of Diplomatic, Official, and Ordinary passports issued by Singapore can stay up to 30 days in Timor-Leste, while holders of Diplomatic, Official, Service and Ordinary passports issued by Timor-Leste will enjoy up to 30 days visa-free stay in Singapore. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Jun 27, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Thailand tourist arrivals drop 5.62% y-o-y so far in 2025; TAT eyes 3 trillion baht in tourism revenue for 2026, ramps up recovery strategy. Reuters; The Nation (Jul 15)
- Phuket sees 5.85 million visitors in first 5 months. Bangkok Post (Jul 10)
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Travel Updates: - Chiang Mai crowned Best City in Asia by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2025. TAT Newsroom (Jul 15)
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 (May 18)
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Destination Headlines: - Vietnam tourism grows 21% with 10.7 million international visitors. Travel Daily News (Jul 15)
- Vietnam Airlines welcomes 350 millionth passenger after 30 years of operation. Vietnam Plus (Jul 9)
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Travel Updates: - New international airport proposed in northern Vietnam, 130 KM from Hanoi. VnExpress (Jul 12)
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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Destination Headlines:- Agoda reports surge in Southeast Asia travel from India. Travel Mole (Jul 13)
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Travel Updates: - IndiGo and Jetstar sign codeshare to ease travel between India, Australia and New Zealand. The Economic Times (Jul 15)
Travel Policy Updates: - The government of India has introduced e-visa for citizens of Kuwait effective from July 24, 2025. Kuwaiti travellers can apply for different visa categories including tourism, business, medical, conference, and AYUSH (for alternative medicine, inc. yoga and Ayurveda). Gulf News (Jul 13)
- 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)
T Destination Headlines:- China reports surge in foreign tourists as summer vacation begins. China Daily (Jul 15)
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Travel Updates: - China’s visa-free policy to extend to Micronesia amid expanding ‘circle of friends’. Global Times (Jul 9)
Travel Policy Updates: - Starting July 16, 2025, holders of ordinary passports from China and Azerbaijan will be permitted to travel between the two countries without the requirement of a visa under a new bilateral agreement for up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within any 180-day period. Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (Jun 25)
- The Embassy of China in UAE has launched new online visa application system from June 30 where the applicant only needs to submit all of their documents online no paperwork involved; except payment, there is no online payment available yet. Gulf news (Jul 15)
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Destination Headlines:- Taipei ranked 2nd safest city to explore at night; No. 1 city for US digital nomads. Taiwan News; Taiwan News (Jul 11)
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Travel Updates: - Foreign internship eligibility expanded for accommodation sector. Focus Taiwan (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Chinese Taipei has introduced Online Arrival Card for foreign visitors to streamline the immigration process; effective from October 1, 2025. Buch dein Visum (Jul 14)
- Chinese Taipei extends visa-free entry for nationals of the Phillipines for one further year. Inquirer.net (Jun 15)
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Travel Updates: - Regent Hong Kong named the #1 City Hotel in Asia. PR Newswire (Jul 9)
- HK Express launches daily Hong Kong–Kota Kinabalu route. Travel Daily News (Jul 15)
Travel Policy Updates: - The visa-free period for nationals of Saudi Arabia to visit the HKSAR will be extended from 30 to 90 days, per January 15, 2025. Govt of HK (Jan 14)
- Hong Kong SAR citizens are now able to travel to Qatar for a a 30-day visa-free stay without needing to obtain a visa on arrival. VisaGuide (May 13)
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Destination Headlines:- Japan's Osaka was voted the world's most attractive tourism city this year, as reported by Yanolja Research. The Star (Jul 12)
- HIS has received more bookings of both domestic and overseas travels in the summer holiday period of 2025. Travel Voice Japan (Jul 9)
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Travel Updates:- Kyoto named most mindful destination of Asia, No. 10 in the world. Travel + Leisure (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Japan will begin pre-arrival screening of visa-free travellers starting in FY 2028. VisaGuide (May 19)
- Starting July 1, 2025 nationals of Peru will be able to visit Japan visa-free for short-term stays not greater than 90 consecutive days. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Jun 2)
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Destination Headlines:- Tech visionary Chae Hwi-young takes helm at Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST). Travel Daily News (Jul 15)
- Korean Air’s Q2 net profit up 13% on increased travel demand. The Korea Bizwire (Jul 11)
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Travel Updates: - KTO plans to launch travel package under the theme of "Korea Travel with K-Cheer Leaders". Maeil Business Newspaper (Jul 11)
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:- Cambodia sees rise in French tourist arrivals. Khmer Times (Jul 16)
- Siem Reap records nearly 2.9 million tourists in first half of 2025. Khmer Times (Jul 9)
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Travel Updates: - Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites added to UNESCO heritage list. CNN (Jul 13)
Travel Policy Updates: - From January 1, 2025, Cambodia has lowered the cost of its electronic visas. Tourist e-Visas now cost $30, down from $36; Business e-Visas are reduced to $35, down from $42. India Today (Jan 3)
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Destination Headlines:- Indonesia plans to develop Lake Toba with local involvement. Antara News (Jul 11)
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Travel Updates: Travel Policy Updates: - The European Union (EU) has announced a new visa policy for indonesian citizens allowing them for a multiple entry schengen visa when entering the EU countries for a second time. Antara News (Jul 14)
- Indonesia 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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Travel Updates: - Malaysia taps Alipay+ and Weixin Pay to boost tourist spending. Travel Daily News (Jul 10)
- Malaysia welcomes maiden flight of Loong Air’s new Xi’an-Kuala Lumpur route. Travel Daily Media (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Malaysia and China will implement a mutual visa-free policy agreement effective from July 17, 2025, allowing citizens of both countries to visit each other visa free for leisure travel, visiting relatives/friends, and business activities, with permitted stays of up to 30 days per entry and a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within a 180-day period. Embassy of PRC in Malaysia (Jul 10)
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Destination Headlines:- Sports events drive surge in travel bookings to Singapore, reports Trip.com. TTG Asia (Jul 11)
- SIA, Scoot passenger traffic up 4.5% in June on strong travel demand. The Business Times (Jul 15)
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Travel Updates: - Singapore Airlines, Mandai Wildlife Group form three-year partnership to boost tourism and conservation. TTG Asia (Jul 14)
Travel Policy Updates: - Singapore and Timor-Leste reached a mutual agreement on visa waiver: Holders of Diplomatic, Official, and Ordinary passports issued by Singapore can stay up to 30 days in Timor-Leste, while holders of Diplomatic, Official, Service and Ordinary passports issued by Timor-Leste will enjoy up to 30 days visa-free stay in Singapore. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Jun 27, 2024)
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Destination Headlines:- Thailand tourist arrivals drop 5.62% y-o-y so far in 2025; TAT eyes 3 trillion baht in tourism revenue for 2026, ramps up recovery strategy. Reuters; The Nation (Jul 15)
- Phuket sees 5.85 million visitors in first 5 months. Bangkok Post (Jul 10)
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Travel Updates: - Chiang Mai crowned Best City in Asia by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2025. TAT Newsroom (Jul 15)
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 (May 18)
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Destination Headlines: - Vietnam tourism grows 21% with 10.7 million international visitors. Travel Daily News (Jul 15)
- Vietnam Airlines welcomes 350 millionth passenger after 30 years of operation. Vietnam Plus (Jul 9)
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Travel Updates: - New international airport proposed in northern Vietnam, 130 KM from Hanoi. VnExpress (Jul 12)
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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Destination Headlines:- Agoda reports surge in Southeast Asia travel from India. Travel Mole (Jul 13)
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Travel Updates: - IndiGo and Jetstar sign codeshare to ease travel between India, Australia and New Zealand. The Economic Times (Jul 15)
Travel Policy Updates: - The government of India has introduced e-visa for citizens of Kuwait effective from July 24, 2025. Kuwaiti travellers can apply for different visa categories including tourism, business, medical, conference, and AYUSH (for alternative medicine, inc. yoga and Ayurveda). Gulf News (Jul 13)
- 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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