Dreaming of a trip to Southeast Asia post-pandemic? This summer could be the answer. More than half of the subregion’s nations have loosened their Covid travel restrictions entering this blessed pleasant climate and beautiful beaches region.

The Southeast Asian region considers the Covid-19 pandemic as endemic after two years of lockdown and multiple Covid-19 variants. Also, the region is pushing ahead with plans to quarantine-free travel policy for international travel after the COVID-19 epidemic ruined the region’s major tourist industry. Tourism is responsible for more than 10% of GDP in countries like Thailand and Cambodia, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), making its revitalization essential to the region’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

Talking on the restriction loosening, all foreign passengers will be able to enter Vietnam without going through quarantine starting on March 16, 2022. Meanwhile, Malaysia said last week that from April 1, fully vaccinated tourists would be able to enter the country without having quarantine. Also, Thailand has declared that passengers would no longer be needed to carry a COVID-free passport. Finally, Indonesia is considering extending quarantine-free travel across the country, which is exclusive to the resort island of Bali. As a post-pandemic pilot province, Bali has had a Visa on Arrival scheme for Australians and travelers from 22 other countries since early March. If Bali is successful, Indonesian officials are expected to open the rest of the country to international arrivals in April, according to local media in the country.

Despite various initiatives to resurrect tourism in the region, the future of travel remains dubious. However, loosening border restrictions in Southeast Asia has opened the way for stronger bilateral and multilateral collaboration on post-pandemic recovery for all parties concerned.