Keep it simple Booking.com's advice on border reopenings - Europe, Russia travel depressed

As Bali and Australia ease border restrictions for international travellers, Booking.com says the rebuild will be long. Photo / Afeeq Nadzrin, Unsplash

An online travel executive has blamed a lack of Russian tourists for a lag in recovery across the Asia-Pacific.

Booking.com's regional director, Laura Houldsworth, has warned the region to expect a hit from sanction-stricken Russian tourists.

Houldsworth who manages the travel giant's business in a region spanning from Mainland China to New Zealand, said she had been encouraged by the reopening of markets including Australia and Thailand. However, during an interview on the tourism restart, she said the region's recovery will not be a quick one.

A drop in flight arrivals from Russia would make a noticeable difference. Beach destinations in the region such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives are normally very popular with sun-seeking Russian tourists. But following sanctions against state travel companies and individuals over the conflict in Ukraine, there has been a spike in cancellations.

Booking.com's Asia Pacific regional director, Laura Houldsworth. Photo / Supplied

"Any of these situations will have people rethink their travel plans," she told Reuters.
Uncertainty has spooked most central Europeans, particularly in the Baltic and Caucus, trimming forecasts for travel spend.

Last week Booking.com was one of several Western companies which suspended trading in Russia. Since halting all bookings to and from Russia, the Amsterdam-based company said they expected demand out of Russia to be "depressed significantly."

A recent flurry of reopenings among destinations in the Pacific have given Houldsworth reason for hope. Australia's reopening continues to be slow to get going, although demand is growing. On Monday Bali dropped quarantine requirements for vaccinated tourists. Thailand has continued its visa waiver 'Sandbox' approach, but some hotel operators say the entry process continues to be too complex for visitors.

Less complex border reopenings have been the most popular with tourists. Photo / Yap chin Kuan, Unsplash

Countries like New Zealand and Japan, which have delayed reopening to overseas tourists, will be watching the different border easing programmes closely, expects Houldsworth. So far the Covid-19 protocols with the least friction have been the quickest to see a return of bookings.

"The message is: simpler the better for travellers," she said.