How Asia is bouncing back and why it pays to book early

THAILAND RIDING HIGH 

Five-star product is leading Asia’s recovery for Premier Holidays, which has bookings to 2024, headed by Thailand. “The Andaman coastline in particular is performing very well, with strong sales into Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak, [helped by] excellent tactical offers from hotels,” says product manager John Parker.

Experience-led properties are also trending, and the operator expects Elephant Hills Bush Camp’s Chiang Mai opening to do well. Cities, notably Bangkok, are trailing however, with flight capacity problematic. Eva Air resumed services to the Thai capital from August, but BA will not return this winter. Bucking the trend is Singapore, thanks to its “exceptionally clean and safe” reputation and a national carrier enabling stopovers. 

G Adventures also notes airlift difficulties. “Many local routes are still not operating and international flights are running at reduced frequency, which has caused prices to rise,” explains national sales manager Stu Darnley.

However, he adds: “We’ve seen appetite for Asia spike, with Thailand and Vietnam now reclaiming their places as top-booked destinations.” 

It’s a similar picture for Inspiring Travel. Product manager Erica Moore says Thailand has by far been the most popular destination since Covid. But the early booking advice is repeated: "Last minute travel or travel within a three-months period was very popular for a while but this has hugely slowed down as a consequence of the increase in airfares, lack of flights and available seats over the summer as well as all the problems airports worldwide have been experiencing.

"Most of the requests we receive now are for winter 2022 and onwards. We strongly suggest people book sooner rather than later, as this will secure the best prices, and for those looking to travel in peak dates."

She also notes rising demand for quieter destinations – say Khao Lak over Phuket – plus higher category accommodation and longer stays. 

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Vietnam and Cambodia are trending for InsideAsia. Asia’s comparatively sluggish relaunch is benefitting savvy travellers, says trade sales and marketing manager Matt Spiller. “People got confused with Thailand’s ‘sandboxes’ [areas where vaccinated travellers didn’t need to quarantine on arrival], which are no longer a thing, along with different rules for different countries, and decided to leave it for another time. Those travelling in the coming months will benefit from the lack of crowds at places such as Angkor Wat and Halong Bay.”

InsideAsia also suggests switching Sri Lanka to Borneo for crowd-free wildlife spotting this year. Borneo is already 50% sold for Newmarket for 2024. “Wildlife experiences are proving very popular post-pandemic; customers have focused on planning their wish lists… ” explains head of long-haul product Kathy Vigolo. 

All-inclusive escorted tours are helping clients mitigate the rising cost of living, and multi-country itineraries are the next “big opportunity” she explains. Gold Medal’s Mallinson adds that booking on a B&B basis is still the wisest option, with the cost of eating out in Asia so reasonable. 

Clients are favouring higher room types, a better class of hotels and longer stays, he says, pointing to the Capella Bangkok, the Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon and the Jumeirah Bali as notable recent openings. 

Pata’s Kevan is also anticipating the return of Asia multi-centres. At CHIC Locations, where he is product and relationships director, he says clients generally combine two or more countries. “Up until the last few months this was nigh impossible [due to] so many differing regulations and protocols. As a result, many clients shelved the idea of the region and went to the Maldives and Caribbean instead.” 

The exchange rate is helping to entice bookings back, Kevan believes, with locally-priced Thailand and Malaysia particularly good value compared to the Caribbean and Maldives, where prices spiked when the pound recently dropped against the US dollar.

Thailand and Bali are CHIC Locations’ strongest Asia sellers. Post-pandemic, it notes more demand for wellness resorts, with the new RAKxa retreat on Bangkok’s outskirts sure to fuel interest.

However, Lusso Travel warns that while Thailand has great early-booking deals, resorts are filling up for Christmas. 

Mark Crosby, senior product manager, South East Asia highlights increasing interest in tailor-made Vietnam and the new Vietage luxury train, which is a full day’s journey from Hoi An through the mountains to the quiet coastal resort of Quy Nhon. 

Bali has also bounced back, says Crosby, who recommends combining the beach resorts with the culture of Ubud, where the luxury tented camp of Capella Ubud offers something unique. 

CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA

China, including touring gateway Hong Kong, is still requiring quarantine. “Their obsession with zero Covid is seriously misplaced,” bemoans Amrit Singh, managing director of TransIndus. But the country’s loss appears to be Japan’s gain, despite the latter requiring travellers to be escorted in groups or by private guides. 

These rules caused some confusion, admits Inside Asia/Inside Japan but its June Japan sales surpassed the same month in 2019, with around 50% of those for the 2023 cherry blossom season. 

China specialist Wendy Wu says at least half its bookings are now for Japan. “Partner flies free” and half-price solo deals have helped and it has introduced a fully-inclusive 21-day Japan By Train tour (from £9,090pp). 

Greater planning is a post-pandemic trend says Gary King, head of trade sales at Wendy Wu. “People are booking up to three trips in advance… it goes with that whole message of ‘live life and enjoy things while you can.’” 

Meanwhile, for InsideAsia, Korea is benefiting from Japan’s restrictions. “Many of our Japan clients have been considering travelling to South Korea instead to capture that sense of ‘otherness’ that both places provide,” Spiller explains, also crediting the growth of K-pop culture. 

INDIA, BHUTAN AND SRI LANKA

India was relatively late in opening up, however specialist TransIndus has quickly seen bookings return to near pre-pandemic levels. “We’re looking forward to a great winter season, and monuments are still quieter than usual,” says Singh.

Exodus advises early booking due to visa processing times, and in particular for those who want to see tigers, as spaces on Jeeps in the parks close 60 days in advance. A 17-day Indian Tiger Safari, from £3,499pp, including flights, features 15 game drives across three different parks, maximising chances to spot the critically endangered Bengal tiger. 

Asiya Zargar, marketing director for Indus Experiences, says it’s not too early to be thinking about autumn / winter 2023: “We still have a big backlog of travellers who booked prior to the pandemic – the 2023 tourist season is already very busy with rescheduled trips, as people start to feel more confident about long haul travel.

"We’re also seeing increased demand for multi-generational travel, with extended families looking to make up for lost time together during the pandemic. And interestingly, we’re getting some less ‘mainstream’ enquiries, including river cruises and off the beaten track destinations like Kashmir. It looks like clients have been doing their research during lockdown!"

The specialist operator also notes interest in Bhutan from people looking for the perfect antidote to mass tourism. "Numbers are always going to be small but booking values have the potential to be high," adds Zargar.

G Adventures’ new product includes a Trans Bhutan Trail tour (from £3,099pp) as the pilgrimage route reopens after 60 years. 

Singh hopes for a swift return for beleaguered Sri Lanka, noting: “It had been a huge favourite from August 2021, when it first reopened, and sustained us and many other UK tour operators as well as local hoteliers, guides and drivers.”