Looking inward: Domestic tourism in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Southeast Asian governments were forced to reposition their tourism markets as a result of border lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 virus. We examine the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries’ marketing strategies intended to bolster their respective domestic tourism industries during the pandemic years of 2020–2022. This paper sketches three approaches that dominated the region at the time: building national community, strengthening sustainability, and creating a safe travel experience. In presenting these approaches we reconceptualize the region as one where domestic tourism is central. The conclusion assesses the conceptual implications of the study for the ASEAN region and also reflects on the future role of domestic tourism in Southeast Asia now that the borders are open.

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Publication Details

Journal
Tourist Studies
Published
2025-11-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/14687976251396990
Primary Topic
Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Looking inward: Domestic tourism in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Pornsiri Suebpongsang, Chapika Sangkapitux, Jesse Hession Grayman, Andreas Neef et al.
Tourist Studies
Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research
article

Looking inward: Domestic tourism in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Pornsiri Suebpongsang, Chapika Sangkapitux, Jesse Hession Grayman, Andreas Neef, Jamie Gillen, Wiendu Nuryanti, Harng Luh Sin, Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez, Jennifer Kim Lian Chan, Wei Lee Chin, Long Pham, Chanrith Ngin
article en

Abstract

Southeast Asian governments were forced to reposition their tourism markets as a result of border lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 virus. We examine the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries’ marketing strategies intended to bolster their respective domestic tourism industries during the pandemic years of 2020–2022. This paper sketches three approaches that dominated the region at the time: building national community, strengthening sustainability, and creating a safe travel experience. In presenting these approaches we reconceptualize the region as one where domestic tourism is central. The conclusion assesses the conceptual implications of the study for the ASEAN region and also reflects on the future role of domestic tourism in Southeast Asia now that the borders are open.

Tourist StudiesVol. 25(4)
Griffith University (AU), University of Auckland (NZ), Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (JP), Universiti of Malaysia Sabah (MY), Universitas Gadjah Mada (ID), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VN), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (BN), Cambodia Development Resource Institute (KH), Chiang Mai University (TH), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SG)
Openalex Percentile: Top 54%
Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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