Asia travel hotspots quiet as Chinese tourists stay away

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and ELAINE KURTENBACH
Associated Press

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (AP) — The beaches and temples of Asian travel hotspots like Bali and Chiang Mai are the busiest they’ve been since the pandemic struck three years ago, but they’re still relatively quiet. Chinese tourists who used to visit by the millions have yet to return in big numbers, even after Beijing relaxed COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Lunar New Year began this week without much of a bang, though shopkeepers and tour operators say they expect tourism to pick up substantially in the months to come. Just a handful of Chinese tourists were posing for photos and basking in the sun this week in the market and plazas near Chiang Mai’s ancient Tha Phae Gate.