How Thailand, India and Japan illustrate Asia’s patchy recovery in hospitality

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Nicholas SpiroJanuary 26, 2026 at 09:30 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Asia's post-pandemic hotel industry recovery is uneven, with some countries exceeding pre-COVID tourist arrivals while others lag. CBRE reports that Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea saw more international tourists in the first half of 2023 than in 2019, attributed to their relatively cheap currencies. Thailand, conversely, experienced a 7.2% drop in tourist arrivals last year due to various factors, including a strong baht and political instability. Vietnam, benefiting from economic reforms and infrastructure development, welcomed a record 21.2 million tourists, surpassing Thailand in Chinese tourist arrivals. The report highlights the importance of infrastructure investment and airlift capacity for supporting tourism growth in the region.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

C9 Hotelworks 30% India 40% Cambodia 40% JLL 40% Bill Barnett 40% South Korea 50% Myanmar 50% CBRE ×260% Japan ×260% China ×270% Vietnam ×580% Thailand ×690%

Keywords

hospitality recovery 90% thailand 80% vietnam 80% tourist arrivals 80% asia-pacific 70% infrastructure investment 60% economic reform 60% chinese tourists 60% currency exchange rates 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Thailand

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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hospitality recovery thailand vietnam tourist arrivals asia-pacific infrastructure investment economic reform chinese tourists currency exchange rates

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