(CNN) — During the recent Easter holidays, social media feeds were filled with photos of happy travelers, many taking their first trips abroad since the start of the pandemic.
Ski holidays in Switzerland. Beach breaks in Thailand. That long-promised family trip to Disney World.
‘A highly uneven recovery’
And most of them are in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are starting to see the first signs of a recovery with markets like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and Cambodia relaxing their restrictions and starting a recovery,” says Liz Ortiguera, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. PATA), which is made up of 650 member organizations, including government tourism bodies, travel agencies and airports.
“However, there are still several important markets in the region that are virtually closed from an international capacity perspective. The region as a whole is experiencing a highly uneven recovery.”
Japan eases entry restrictions – but tourists still stay out
Tourists looking to visit Tokyo’s fish markets will have to wait a little longer to get their sushi fix.
Japan continues to relax its strict entry measures – the limit on the number of new arrivals per day has been raised to 10,000 people from April 10, 2022 – but that does not include leisure tourists.
At the moment, citizens, residents, researchers, students, family members of residents and business travelers can enter with prior authorization. Some face quarantine depending on where they are arriving.
So when will Japan reopen to tourists? The time issue came up during a press conference held by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 8; however, no specific plans have been announced.
“We will have to continue to make appropriate decisions based on the infection situation and international movements in each country,” he said. “It hasn’t been determined yet.”
China struggles to contain outbreaks
In Shanghai, once seen as a haven for foreigners, there is a sudden rush to get out. Covid’s harsh restrictions are not only crushing social freedoms and crippling business in the financial center, they are also making access to basic necessities nearly impossible for some. CNN’s David Culver speaks to quarantined expats about what they are experiencing.
Much has been said about how the world’s tourism economy will not truly recover until China’s citizens are able to travel abroad again.
In 2019, the number of outbound tourists from China reached 155 million, according to the China Tourism Academy, making it the world’s largest market for outbound travel.
For now, Chinese citizens are strongly discouraged from traveling abroad and those who do face at least two weeks of quarantine upon returning, sometimes longer.
But what about foreign tourists willing to spend their quarantine time in exchange for a vacation?
Those who wish to fulfill their dream of walking along the Great Wall will have to wait to take these steps. Foreigners are not allowed to enter for leisure tourism at this time.
Macau not ready to bet on reopening, HK opens the door a crack
Macau’s casinos remain beyond the reach of most international travelers.
Adobe Stock
No firm Taiwan reopening date
Leisure tourists looking to visit Taiwan’s capital Taipei will have to wait a little longer to visit.
Adobe Stock
Foreign business travelers can visit the island from March 7th. As of April 12, foreign relatives and Taiwan residents with a valid foreign resident certificate can also apply for the visit.
Other travelers now welcome include those on work/study visas, those coming for investment or business purposes, or visitors entering for humanitarian reasons.
Leisure tourists, however, still cannot visit.
As more destinations are reopening their borders, Chen Shih-chung, Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare, said in February that the island needed to consider easing travel restrictions so it doesn’t fall behind in terms of economic development.
Several Pacific islands remain off-limits
Samoa has yet to announce when it will reopen to international tourists.
Martin Valigursky/Adobe Stocks
According to a report titled “Asia Ready Travel Index 2022” released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) last week, island nations including Vanuatu and Fiji are among the most reliant on tourism in the region.
Other Pacific island destinations that have reopened to tourists include Tahiti, Palau and the Cook Islands.
PATA CEO Ortiguera notes that circumstances are unique and each destination needs to assess its level of readiness and time to reconnect with the outside world while managing the challenging balance of lives versus livelihoods.
“And to borrow an analogy used during a recent WHO briefing – each nation must navigate its unique path down the mountain from this pandemic impact,” she says.
“If I look at Singapore as an example, the country has aggressively managed Covid transmissions and is now navigating a successful exit to reopen the market. I am confident that these measures have laid a solid foundation for a sustained recovery.”
CNN’s Junko Ogura, Maggie Hiufu Wong and CNN’s Beijing office contributed to this report.