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Southeast Asia tourism sustains rebound

Indonesia welcomed 4.68 million foreigners in the first four months, an 8.24% hike from a year earlier and the highest tally for the period since the COVID-19 outbreak, its Central Bureau of Statistics said on June 3.

Hanoi (VNA) – Southeast Asia’s tourism recovery is holding its stride in 2026, with Indonesia recording the strongest January-April foreign arrivals since 2020 and Thailand surpassing 14 million visitors in the first five months.

Indonesia welcomed 4.68 million foreigners in the first four months, an 8.24% hike from a year earlier and the highest tally for the period since the COVID-19 outbreak, its Central Bureau of Statistics said on June 3.

To sustain growth momentum, Indonesia is fast-tracking destination development, upgrading transport infrastructure, and scaling up promotional campaigns to attract more foreigners.

Thailand, meanwhile, reported 14.03 million foreign visitors during January-May, its Ministry of Tourism and Sports said. While the figure slipped 2.3% from the same period last year, weekly arrivals surged past 470,000 during May 25–31, fueled by holiday travel across the region.

China, Malaysia, India, Russia, and the Republic of Korea were Thailand’s five largest source markets during the period./.


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