Standing at Gardens by the Bay, a popular tourist destination in Singapore, 24-year-old Chinese tourist Sun Shiqi said this was her first time traveling internationally. Singapore's visa-free policy for Chinese citizens made things easier for Sun. "I just needed my passport," the university graduate said, describing a four-day trip with her friends.
Since February, Chinese tourists have been able to travel to Singapore visa-free and vice versa. The visa relaxation policy, which began late last year, has become a wave that has spread across Southeast Asia, where many countries are trying to revive tourism after Covid-19.
India, Russia and China are the tourist markets that have benefited the most from the visa relaxation plan in Southeast Asia. Many said they were attracted by the convenience and no more administrative barriers.
For Sun, Singapore was a natural choice: safe, clean and home to her favourite singer, JJ Lin. Sun felt great that despite not being fluent in English, she could still communicate well in Singapore using Mandarin.
In other tourist hotspots Phuket, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia, hotel occupancy rates are soaring to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Flights have resumed to many second- and third-tier Chinese cities, and package tours are restarting. Indian tourists, known for their spending power and lavish weddings, are flocking to both destinations, while Russian tourists are also heading to Southeast Asia.
However, there is a downside to everything. The surge in visitors, who are not screened by visa policies as before, has also raised alarms about potential criminals infiltrating Southeast Asian countries.
In Singapore, reports of illegal activities such as theft, break-ins and crimes have increased, prompting authorities to monitor more closely.
In August, three Chinese nationals were charged with breaking into private homes in Singapore. Authorities said they were working with partner travel agencies in China to track down 14 more suspects, who are believed to have left Singapore after committing the crimes.
"No visa policy can completely eliminate unwanted visitors," Singapore's Home Affairs Minister Sun Xuelin said in early August in response to a parliamentary question about the rising crime rate since the visa exemption was introduced. Xueling added that even with the 14 Chinese nationals on the run, the rate of Chinese arrests in Singapore this year is still lower than the same period last year.
The minister said the only way to stop the crime situation was to "close the borders", but this would destroy the country's economy.
Still, Singaporeans are starting to get frustrated with overtourism. According to a study by the National University of Singapore, the recent influx of Chinese tourists has disrupted classes, forcing schools to implement measures to manage the influx.
"This is a case of overtourism," Suen said. However, he still affirmed that this overtourism is not as extreme as destinations in Japan and Bali.
According to the Singapore Tourism Board, international visitors in 2023 will mainly come from Indonesia, China, and Malaysia, with 2.3 million; 1.4 million, and 1.1 million arrivals, respectively. Chinese visitors are the biggest spenders, at about $1.8 billion, followed by Indonesian and Australian visitors, at $1.7 and nearly $1.2 billion.
In Thailand, authorities raided a luxury villa in Chonburi province and arrested 15 foreign scammers who had come here on visa-free entry. Russian tourists are also being targeted by the government on suspicion of setting up illegal businesses in Thailand.
In Phuket, residents lament soaring land prices and rising rents as international visitors surge. Businesses ranging from taxis to hair salons increasingly cater to this new, wealthy clientele, rather than the local crowd.
Similar grievances are being voiced in Bali. However, despite the challenges, both destinations are still aiming to attract as many visitors as possible, as tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry for the economy.
In front of the historic Masjid India mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bookstore owner Erfan Ghani said that many foreigners initially visited the area as tourists. Now, they are staying longer, changing the identity and cohesion of the area. They come for tourism but stay illegally to work, Erfan said.
The problem of tourists arriving and overstaying their visas is growing in Malaysia, a country heavily dependent on cheap labour from Bangladesh and Indonesia. At an apartment complex on Jalan Masjid India, Bangladeshi restaurant owner Muhammad Ibrahim confirmed that it was “common” for tourists to stay and work illegally.
Statistics from the Malaysian government show that from 2020 to 2023, more than 13,000 foreigners were arrested for overstaying their visas. Malaysia is considered one of the most open countries to international visitors, requiring only more than 30 countries in the world to apply for a visa. However, this leniency also has its limitations.
In a late August raid on resorts in Sabah state, authorities arrested 61 Chinese and Filipino men for working illegally. They were supposed to leave Malaysia in May, but stayed on until August.
On September 4, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said that 46 civil servants working at Kuala Lumpur International Airport were suspected of being "part of a network that facilitated the entry of foreigners".
Ramlan Arshad, a border and migration expert at Mara University of Technology in Kuala Lumpur, said the government needs to strictly control the borders and only genuine tourists should be allowed into the country.
“If not properly controlled, Malaysia will become a mecca for illegal workers,” Arshad said.
TH (according to VnExpress)Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/mat-trai-cua-chinh-sach-mien-visa-hut-khach-tai-dong-nam-a-393342.html
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