Which is the most visited country in Southeast Asia?

Malaysia, with 42.2 million visitors in 2025. Thailand had 32.97 million and Vietnam 21.17 million (Tourism Malaysia via Malay Mail, 2026; Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; VNAT, 2026). Malaysia's count includes same-day visitors. Thailand's does not. That is why Multiverse Partners weights a media budget on visitor value and length of stay, not arrivals alone.

Where do Chinese tourists go in Southeast Asia now?

Vietnam received 5.28 million in 2025. Thailand received 4.47 million, Singapore 3.1 million, Indonesia 1.34 million and Cambodia 1.2 million (VNAT, 2026; Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; STB, 2026; BPS, 2026; Cambodia Ministry of Tourism via Khmer Times, 2026). Multiverse Partners reaches this traveller before departure through direct access to the mainland Chinese media and platform ecosystem. It reaches them on arrival through local publishers in every ASEAN market.

What is intra-ASEAN travel and why does it matter?

It is travel between ASEAN members. It was 38% of all arrivals in 2024, some 47.7 million trips. The four largest corridors are Singapore to Malaysia, Malaysia to Thailand, Indonesia to Malaysia and Thailand to Cambodia (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). It matters because the region's largest customer is itself. Multiverse Partners plans ASEAN as one media market with eleven local executions. A tourism board can reach its neighbours' travellers under one contract.

Which ASEAN markets do Korean tourists visit most?

Vietnam, by a distance, at 4.33 million in 2025. Then Thailand at 1.56 million, the Philippines at 1.35 million, Singapore at 587,000, Indonesia at 497,000 and Laos at 183,000 (VNAT, 2026; Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; Department of Tourism Philippines, 2026; STB, 2026; BPS, 2026; Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026). For context, Koreans made a record 29.55 million outbound trips in 2025. Only Japan, at 9.46 million, drew more of them than Vietnam (Korea Tourism Organization via Yanolja Research and Korea Travel Times, 2026). Korea was the third-largest source of visitors to ASEAN in 2024, behind only China and Singapore (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). Multiverse Partners buys Korean media for tourism boards and airlines through its Seoul partner, in Korean, on Korean platforms.

Which ASEAN markets do Japanese tourists visit most?

Thailand first, where Japan was ninth in the January to July 2025 ranking. Then Vietnam at 814,000, Singapore at 628,000, the Philippines, where Japan ranked third, and Indonesia at 380,000 (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; VNAT, 2026; STB, 2026; Department of Tourism Philippines, 2026; BPS, 2026). ASEAN as a whole received 3.6 million Japanese visitors in 2024 (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). For context, Japanese made 14.7 million outbound trips in 2025, up 13%. That is still 27% below the 2019 peak of 20.1 million. South Korea, the United States and Taiwan are the largest destinations (Immigration Services Agency of Japan via JTB Tourism Research, 2026). That gap is the opportunity. Japan is the recovery market to plan for now. Multiverse Partners plans it through direct access to Japan's leading news and travel media.

Which ASEAN markets should a foreign tourism board target for outbound travellers?

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, by destination-reported volume and spend. Japan alone received 1.23 million Thais, 885,000 Filipinos, 726,000 Singaporeans, 679,000 Vietnamese, 641,000 Indonesians and 637,000 Malaysians in 2025 (JNTO, 2026). Multiverse Partners builds source-market campaigns for these five from Singapore, with publishers and local partners contracted in each.

Which ASEAN countries offer digital nomad visas?

Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have live schemes. Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa runs five years, with 180 days per entry. Malaysia's DE Rantau Nomad Pass runs one year and is renewable. Indonesia's E33G remote worker permit runs one year. The Philippines has created one by executive order but had not begun issuing it by August 2026 (ThaiEmbassy.com, 2026; The Diplomat, 2026; Genki, 2026). Nomads are a distinct audience. They stay long, spend high, and are reached through in-market media rather than source-market media. Multiverse Partners plans them through the local publishers, out-of-home and digital inventory it holds in each hub city.

How do you advertise across ASEAN under one contract?

Eleven currencies, eleven regulators and eleven media ecosystems make direct buying slow and expensive. Multiverse Partners is a global media buying partner. It has direct access to the region's leading news, broadcast, out-of-home and digital media owners across 50+ markets. It settles with every publisher in local currency, under one agreement and one invoice. Ask us for the current publisher list for your brief.

Playbook: How to Win ASEAN, the World's Fifth Largest Econony.

Sep 9

18 min read

How to Win ASEAN, the World's Fifth Largest Economy. Multiverse Partners

ASEAN is a source market and a destination at once. Its eleven members produced USD 4.25 trillion of output in 2025 (IMF, 2026). They welcomed roughly 144 million international visitors (ASEAN Tourism Ministers, 2026). They also sent tens of millions of their own citizens abroad.

One bloc on paper, eleven markets on the ground. This is the dual-track playbook for tourism boards, airlines and government bodies that want both.

The Association of Southeast Asia Nation, commonly known as ASEAN, is a eleven member intergovernmental organisation designed to boost economic growth, social progress, and regional peace among its member states.

ASEAN in a Nutshell.

695 million people (IMF, 2026).
USD 4.25 trillion GDP (IMF, 2026).
144 million international visitor arrivals in 2025 (ASEAN Tourism Ministers, 2026).
38% of those arrivals came from within ASEAN (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025).
Tourism is 9.7% of the region's GDP (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025).

One bloc. Eleven markets. No single consumer.

ASEAN is the world's fifth-largest economy (ASEANstats, 2025). It is not a market.

The single market and production base exists in the ASEAN Economic Community's treaties.

The single consumer does not. A traveller in Jakarta, a traveller in Bangkok and a traveller in Manila do not share a language. They do not share a faith, a festival calendar, a payment app or a news source. Islam shapes the year in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Buddhism shapes it in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Catholicism shapes it in the Philippines and Timor-Leste. Singapore and Vietnam run multi-faith and secular calendars of their own. Ramadan, Songkran, Tet, Deepavali and Christmas each move travel demand at a different time, for a different reason, in a different tongue.

Even the wallets differ. Each member keeps its own QR standard and e-wallet network. A payment method that works in Thailand may not work in the Philippines (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). Beliefs, culture, tradition, language and consumer behaviour change at every border. A campaign that treats ASEAN as one market is talking to nobody.

Two flows. One neighbourhood.

Every destination CMO has a China plan and an India plan. Fewer have an ASEAN plan. Almost none have two. The first plan wins the 695 million people who live here (IMF, 2026). The second wins a share of the visitors who already come here. The region supplies its own largest customers. Intra-ASEAN travel was 38% of all international arrivals in 2024, some 47.7 million trips. China was second at 16% (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). Court one flow and ignore the other, and you are running half a campaign at full cost.

The ASEAN economy. Eleven price points.

The ten original members recorded nominal GDP of USD 3.9 trillion in 2024. That was 3.6% of world output, and it grew 4.8% (ASEANstats, 2025). Timor-Leste was admitted as the eleventh member on 26 October 2025 (ASEAN, 2025). With it, IMF estimates put 2025 GDP at USD 4.25 trillion, or USD 13.3 trillion at purchasing power parity (IMF, 2026).

Capital is following. Foreign direct investment rose 8.5% to USD 226 billion in 2024 (ASEANstats, 2025). Global flows fell 11% in the same year. Singapore took more than 60% of ASEAN's total (ASEAN Secretariat and UNCTAD, 2025). In 2025, Southeast Asia overtook East Asia as the largest recipient subregion in developing Asia (UNCTAD, 2026). The United States was the largest source at 18.6%. Intra-ASEAN investment was 13.9% (ASEANstats, 2025).

Trade is large and finely balanced. Goods trade reached USD 3.8 trillion in 2024, up 8.9%. The surplus narrowed to USD 61.5 billion from USD 101.1 billion a year earlier. The region runs a USD 190 billion deficit with China (ASEANstats, 2025). Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam run surpluses. The Philippines runs a USD 72 billion deficit (ASEANstats, 2025). The 2025 picture by member is below, on the World Trade Organization basis used by the World Bank.

Member	Merchandise exports 2025 (USD bn)	Merchandise imports 2025 (USD bn)	Trade balance 2025 (USD bn)	FDI inflows 2024 (USD bn)	FDI outflows 2024 (USD bn)
Brunei	10.5	6.0	+4.5	0.03	Not reported
Cambodia	31.3	33.9	-2.6	4.4	0.2
Indonesia	282.9	241.9	+41.1	24.3	8.4
Laos	12.4	10.3	+2.0	1.0	Not reported
Malaysia	376.0	340.4	+35.6	15.6	13.0
Myanmar	15.3	14.3	+1.0	1.1	Not reported
Philippines	83.7	141.2	-57.5	9.4	2.7
Singapore	566.9	505.8	+61.0	135.1	63.6
Thailand	339.6	344.9	-5.3	14.3	7.4
Timor-Leste	0.1	1.0	-0.9	0.2	0.0
Vietnam	472.9	453.8	+19.2	20.2	0.6
ASEAN-11	2,191.7	2,093.6	+98.0	225.5	95.9 (eight reporting members)

Source: World Bank (2026) World Development Indicators. Merchandise trade on the WTO basis. FDI on the IMF balance of payments basis (net flows, current USD). The ASEAN Secretariat's own compilation puts 2024 inflows to the ten original members at USD 226 billion. Rounding may affect totals.

The people are young, urban and online. Population was 682.7 million in 2024, the third-largest bloc on earth. Almost half are under 30. Only 8.2% are over 65. Some 52% live in cities. There are 82 internet users per 100 people (ASEANstats, 2025). Median age is 30.9 (UN DESA, 2024). Purchasing power runs from Singapore at USD 164,000 per capita and Brunei at USD 94,000 to Myanmar at USD 5,000 (IMF, 2026, PPP terms). Malaysia sits at USD 44,000. Thailand is at USD 26,000. Vietnam and Indonesia are near USD 18,000. The Philippines is at USD 13,000. That thirty-fold spread is the first planning fact. ASEAN is eleven markets with one flag.

Member	Population 2025 (m)	GDP 2025 (USD bn)	Real growth 2025	GDP per capita, PPP (USD)
Brunei	0.5	16	0.6%	93,731
Cambodia	17.8	49	5.0%	8,403
Indonesia	284.4	1,446	5.1%	17,746
Laos	7.8	18	4.8%	10,380
Malaysia	33.9	472	5.2%	44,119
Myanmar	54.9	82	-2.0%	5,047
Philippines	114.1	487	4.4%	12,877
Singapore	6.1	604	5.0%	164,318
Thailand	71.6	577	2.4%	26,260
Timor-Leste	1.4	2	4.5%	5,060
Vietnam	102.3	494	8.0%	17,971
ASEAN-11	694.7	4,247

Source: IMF (2026), World Economic Outlook, April 2026. Rows are rounded. The total is calculated from unrounded data.

ASEAN tourism trends in 2025.

Arrivals are finally past 2019. Preliminary data show about 144 million international visitor arrivals across ASEAN in 2025. The 2019 figure was 143.6 million (ASEAN Tourism Ministers, 2026). Receipts were USD 132 billion in 2024. The forecast is 201 million arrivals by 2030, an 8.7% compound rate (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). Two official bases are in use. ASEANstats counts 127.1 million visitor arrivals in 2024. UN Tourism counts 121 million overnight tourists. This article labels which is used.

The league table flipped. Malaysia recorded 42.2 million visitors in 2025, up 11.2%. It was the region's most-visited country for a second year (Tourism Malaysia via Malay Mail, 2026). Thailand fell 7.2% to 32.97 million (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026). Vietnam set a record at 21.17 million, up 20.4% (VNAT, 2026). Singapore reached 16.9 million (STB, 2026). Indonesia reached 15.39 million, up 10.8% (BPS, 2026).

China did not leave ASEAN. It moved within it. Chinese arrivals fell 33.6% in Thailand to 4.47 million. They rose 41.3% in Vietnam to 5.28 million. They rose 41.5% in Cambodia to 1.2 million (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; VNAT, 2026; Cambodia Ministry of Tourism via Khmer Times, 2026). Mainland China was still Singapore's largest market at 3.1 million (STB, 2026).

The corridors are land borders. Singapore to Malaysia carried 9.1 million crossings in 2024. Malaysia to Thailand carried almost 5 million. Indonesia to Malaysia carried 3.7 million. Indonesia to Singapore carried 2.5 million (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). The Thai-Cambodian border closed in 2025. Cambodia's arrivals fell 16.9%. Its receipts still grew 6.6% (Cambodia Ministry of Tourism via Khmer Times, 2026). Borders, not brands, set the ceiling.

Outbound is the underrated story. Malaysians made 66.6 million outbound trips in 2025 (Ministry of Finance Malaysia via The Star, 2026). Vietnamese outbound rose 26.4% to 6.7 million (National Statistics Office Vietnam, 2026). Indonesians made 8.95 million trips abroad in 2024, up 19%. Malaysia took 28% of them, Saudi Arabia 17% and Singapore 14% (BPS via Katadata, 2025). Malaysia alone is Thailand's largest source market, at 4.52 million. Singapore is Malaysia's, at more than 9 million.

Visa-free entry and digital nomad visas move demand faster than media.

The cheapest campaign a government can run is a visa waiver. Visa facilitation has historically lifted arrivals from the markets affected by 5% to 25%. ASEAN's open visa reciprocity among members rose from 67% in 2008 to 96% in 2023. That ranks third among the world's blocs, after Schengen and ECOWAS. Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia score above 70 out of 100 on UN Tourism's openness index (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025).

The 2025 league table was written by visa policy. Malaysia extended visa-free entry for Chinese nationals to 2030, with an option to 2036. It extended visa-free entry for Indian nationals to the end of 2026 (Government of Malaysia via Tempo, 2026). Chinese arrivals to Malaysia rose 38.8% in the first five months of the year (MOTAC via Malay Mail, 2025). Vietnam's unilateral exemptions for European markets and its 90-day e-visa lifted European arrivals 38.8% and Russian arrivals 197% (VNAT, 2026). The Philippines opened 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals in January 2026 (Department of Tourism Philippines via Philstar, 2026). Thailand went the other way. The 60-day exemption it granted to 93 countries in July 2024 ends on 15 September 2026. A 30-day exemption for 60 countries replaces it. China, Vietnam and Laos stay on 30 days under separate bilateral arrangements (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2024; Royal Gazette via Bangkok Post, 2026; ThaiEmbassy.com, 2026). Any fourth-quarter plan for Thailand should be re-cut against the new rules.

Digital nomad visas turn a four-night tourist into a six-month resident. Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa has been live since 15 July 2024. It is valid for five years, with stays of up to 180 days per entry, against a THB 500,000 deposit. Malaysia's DE Rantau Nomad Pass has been run by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation since October 2022. It grants a renewable year to remote workers earning at least USD 24,000 in technology roles, or USD 60,000 in other professions. Indonesia's E33G remote worker permit took effect on 1 April 2024. It grants a year to those earning USD 60,000 or more from abroad (ThaiEmbassy.com, 2026; The Diplomat, 2026). The Philippines created a Digital Nomad Visa by Executive Order No. 86 in April 2025. The Department of Foreign Affairs had yet to list it among issuable visas by August 2026 (Vialto Partners, 2025; Genki, 2026). Bali, Chiang Mai, Penang and Ho Chi Minh City are the established hubs (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). For a media planner the point is simple. A nomad reads local news, uses local platforms and spends for 180 days. They are reached in-market, not at home.

Track one: ASEAN as an outbound source market.

This table shows where each member's residents go. It is ranked by the arrivals each destination reported. Destinations publish on different cycles, so 2025 figures are used where released and 2024 otherwise. The year is shown against each figure. Australia's figures are calendar 2025 short-term visitor arrivals by country of residence (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2026). China, South Korea and the Gulf do not publish 2025 arrivals by ASEAN residence in ranked form. Where authoritative sources confirm they are major destinations, they are named after the ranked list.

Resident market	Top destinations (destination-reported arrivals)
Brunei	Malaysia 1.14m (2024); Singapore 56k (2025); Indonesia 32k (2025); Thailand 16k (2024); Philippines 7k (2024).
Cambodia	Vietnam 687k (2025); Thailand 553k (2024); Malaysia 64k (2024); Laos 23k (2024); Australia 20k (2025); Indonesia 10k (2024); Philippines 4k (2024). Total outbound 1.85m (2024). Also major: China, South Korea.
Indonesia	BPS publishes its own outbound ranking. Of 8.95m trips in 2024, Malaysia took 28.3%, Saudi Arabia 17.0% and Singapore 13.9%, followed by Thailand, China, Japan, Cambodia and Australia (BPS, 2025). Destination-reported: Malaysia 3.65m (2024); Singapore 2.44m (2025); Thailand 877k (2024); Japan 641k (2025); Australia 242k (2025); Vietnam 184k (2024); Cambodia 167k (2024); Philippines 58k (2024); Brunei 26k (2024).
Laos	Thailand 1.12m (2024); Cambodia 334k (2024); Vietnam 149k (2024); Malaysia 19k (2024); Indonesia 3k (2024). Also major: China.
Malaysia	Thailand 4.52m (2025); Indonesia 2.64m (2025); Singapore 1.28m (2025, air and sea only; STB excludes Malaysian citizens arriving by land); Japan 637k (2025); Vietnam 574k (2025); Hong Kong 406k (2024); Taiwan 386k (2025); Australia 214k (2025); Philippines 100k (2024); Cambodia 94k (2024). Also major: China, Saudi Arabia (Umrah), South Korea.
Myanmar	Thailand 547k (2024); Singapore 170k (2025); Malaysia 115k (2024); Indonesia 57k (2025); Cambodia 37k (2024); Laos 20k (2024); Philippines 9k (2024). Also major: China, India.
Philippines	Hong Kong 1.19m (2024); Japan 885k (2025); Singapore 726k (2025); Taiwan 627k (2025); Thailand 598k (2024); Malaysia 401k (2024); Vietnam 266k (2024; up 81% in 2025); Indonesia 247k (2025); Australia 191k (2025); Cambodia 69k (2024). Also major: South Korea, United States, Gulf states.
Singapore	Malaysia 9.1m (2024); Indonesia 1.53m (2025); Thailand 1.01m (2024); Japan 726k (2025); Hong Kong 466k (2024); Taiwan 446k (2025); Australia 444k (2025); Vietnam 347k (2024); Philippines 198k (2024); Cambodia 46k (2024). Also major: China, South Korea.
Thailand	Cambodia 2.15m (2024; fell by more than half in 2025); Malaysia 1.64m (2024); Laos 1.48m (2025); Japan 1.23m (2025); Myanmar 767k (2024); Hong Kong 522k (2024); Vietnam 418k (2024); Taiwan 412k (2025); Singapore 386k (2025); Indonesia 118k (2024). Australia 98k (2025). Also major: China, South Korea.
Timor-Leste	Indonesia 1.01m (2025), its fifth-largest source market. Australia, Singapore and Portugal are the other established destinations. No ranked figures are published.
Vietnam	Cambodia 1.22m (2025); Laos 1.13m (2025); Thailand 984k (2024); Japan 679k (2025); Singapore 344k (2025); Malaysia 330k (2024); Australia 165k (2025); Indonesia 87k (2025); Philippines 59k (2024). Also major: China, South Korea, Taiwan.

Sources: ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism (2025) intra-ASEAN matrix for 2024; Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026); BPS (2025, 2026); STB (2026); Ministry of Tourism and Sports Thailand (2026); JNTO (2026); Hong Kong Tourism Board (2025); Taiwan Tourism Administration (2026); Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2026); Cambodia Ministry of Tourism (2025, 2026); VNAT (2026).

Track two: ASEAN as an inbound destination.

This table shows who arrives in each member. It is ranked by 2025 official data where published.

Destination	2025 arrivals	Top source markets 2025
Brunei	678k in 2024 (268k by air); 2025 pending	Malaysia; China (15.5% of air arrivals to August 2025). Ranks 3 to 10 are not published in ranked form.
Cambodia	5.57m (-16.9%)	Vietnam 1.22m; China 1.2m; Thailand (down more than 50%); Laos; USA; South Korea; Indonesia; France; UK; Japan (ranks 4 to 10 per 2024 order)
Indonesia	15.39m (+10.8%)	Malaysia 2.64m; Australia 1.75m; Singapore 1.53m; China 1.34m; Timor-Leste 1.01m; India 734k; South Korea 497k; UK 413k; USA 412k; Japan 380k
Laos	4.58m (+11%)	Thailand 1.48m; China 1.16m; Vietnam 1.13m; South Korea 183k; USA; France; Russia; UK; Japan 74k; Australia (ranks 5 to 10 indicative, per Q1 2025 order)
Malaysia	42.2m (+11.2%)	Singapore; Indonesia; China; Thailand; Brunei; India; Philippines; South Korea; Australia; Taiwan (ranks 7 to 10 per 2024 order)
Myanmar	0.97m (2024: 1.06m)	China; Thailand; South Korea. Japan, Vietnam and the USA are the other named major markets. Ranks 7 to 10 are not published.
Philippines	6.48m (+0.8%)	South Korea 1.35m; USA; Japan; Australia; Canada; China 237k; Taiwan; UK; Singapore; Malaysia
Singapore	16.9m (+2.3%)	China 3.10m; Indonesia 2.44m; Malaysia 1.28m; Australia 1.27m; India 1.21m; Philippines 726k; USA 717k; Japan 628k; UK 587k; South Korea 587k
Thailand	32.97m (-7.2%)	Malaysia 4.52m; China 4.47m; India 2.49m; Russia 1.90m; South Korea 1.56m; UK; USA; Taiwan; Japan; Laos (ranks 6 to 10 per January to July order)
Timor-Leste	Not published; UN Tourism series peaked at 80,800 (2019)	Indonesia and Australia dominate arrivals at Dili airport (General Directorate of Statistics). No ranked list is published.
Vietnam	21.17m (+20.4%)	China 5.28m; South Korea 4.33m; Taiwan 1.23m; USA 849k; Japan 814k; India 746k; Russia 690k; Cambodia 687k; Malaysia 574k; Australia 548k

Sources: Brunei Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (2025); Cambodia Ministry of Tourism (2025, 2026); BPS (2026); Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2025, 2026); Tourism Malaysia and MOTAC (2025, 2026); Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism (2026); Department of Tourism Philippines (2026); STB (2026); Ministry of Tourism and Sports Thailand (2025, 2026); UN Tourism via World Bank (2026); VNAT (2026).

Tourism's share of GDP in each ASEAN economy.

Direct tourism GDP is the conservative measure. Total contribution adds supply chains and induced spending. Both say the same thing about where a campaign is politically important.

Member	Tourism direct GDP, share of GDP (UN Tourism, latest)	Total contribution 2024 (WTTC)
Brunei	0.8% (2016)	Not public
Cambodia	Not compiled; Ministry of Tourism puts the sector at 9.4% of GDP (2024)	Not public
Indonesia	5.0% (2019)	USD 71.7 billion, about 5.1% of GDP
Laos	Not compiled; government put it at 9.1% (2019)	Not public
Malaysia	6.8% (2019)	Not public
Myanmar	Not compiled	Not public
Philippines	12.9% (2019)	USD 91.8 billion, 19.9% of GDP
Singapore	2.6% (2015)	USD 54.6 billion, about 10.0% of GDP
Thailand	7.4% (2019)	USD 67.3 billion, about 12.7% of GDP
Timor-Leste	Not compiled	Not public
Vietnam	9.2% (2019)	Not public
ASEAN	4.5% (2023, USD 171 billion)	USD 379 billion, 9.7% of GDP; 42 million jobs

Sources: ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism (2025); WTTC (2025) as presented to the ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting; Cambodia Ministry of Tourism via Khmer Times (2025). Percentage shares for Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are Multiverse Partners calculations against IMF April 2026 nominal GDP for 2024 (USD 1,396 billion, USD 547 billion and USD 529 billion respectively).

The playbook.

Plan eleven markets, buy one region. Eleven currencies. Eleven regulators. Eleven media ecosystems. Brief once. Then let a global media buying partner contract publishers and local partners in every market, under one agreement and one invoice.

Follow the land borders first. The largest flows in ASEAN cross by road and ferry, not by air. Johor, Hat Yai, Batam and Poipet are media markets. A destination campaign that ignores out-of-home and mobile at the crossings misses the highest-frequency travellers in the region.

Weight to value, not volume. Malaysia sends the most people. China, Indonesia and Australia are Singapore's largest spending markets (STB, 2026). Put brand weight where visitor spend is highest. Put performance weight where volumes are.

Read China through ASEAN. The Chinese traveller now chooses between Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on price, safety and visa terms. A Chinese-language plan for ASEAN is a competitive plan, not a single-country one.

Sell outbound to the affluent five. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam together sent more than 4 million people to Japan alone in 2025 (JNTO, 2026). For a tourism board outside the region, these are the source markets to buy, in that order of yield.

Time media to visa windows. A waiver announcement is a demand signal with a date on it. Malaysia's Chinese extension, the Philippines' Chinese waiver and Thailand's September 2026 reset each move a market by double digits within a quarter. Plan the burst for the month the rule changes, not the month the budget resets.

Measure both tracks in outcomes. Arrivals and receipts. Seats filled and average spend. This is the work Multiverse Partners executes for tourism boards, airlines and government bodies. Both tracks, one story, one contract.

The region that supplies its own visitors is the region that can afford to choose. Be the destination it chooses, and the one it comes home to.

Frequently asked questions about ASEAN tourism markets.

Which is the most visited country in Southeast Asia? Malaysia, with 42.2 million visitors in 2025. Thailand had 32.97 million and Vietnam 21.17 million (Tourism Malaysia via Malay Mail, 2026; Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; VNAT, 2026). Malaysia's count includes same-day visitors. Thailand's does not. That is why Multiverse Partners weights a media budget on visitor value and length of stay, not arrivals alone.

Where do Chinese tourists go in Southeast Asia now? Vietnam received 5.28 million in 2025. Thailand received 4.47 million, Singapore 3.1 million, Indonesia 1.34 million and Cambodia 1.2 million (VNAT, 2026; Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; STB, 2026; BPS, 2026; Cambodia Ministry of Tourism via Khmer Times, 2026). Multiverse Partners reaches this traveller before departure through direct access to the mainland Chinese media and platform ecosystem. It reaches them on arrival through local publishers in every ASEAN market.

What is intra-ASEAN travel and why does it matter? It is travel between ASEAN members. It was 38% of all arrivals in 2024, some 47.7 million trips. The four largest corridors are Singapore to Malaysia, Malaysia to Thailand, Indonesia to Malaysia and Thailand to Cambodia (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). It matters because the region's largest customer is itself. Multiverse Partners plans ASEAN as one media market with eleven local executions. A tourism board can reach its neighbours' travellers under one contract.

Which ASEAN markets do Korean tourists visit most? Vietnam, by a distance, at 4.33 million in 2025. Then Thailand at 1.56 million, the Philippines at 1.35 million, Singapore at 587,000, Indonesia at 497,000 and Laos at 183,000 (VNAT, 2026; Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; Department of Tourism Philippines, 2026; STB, 2026; BPS, 2026; Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026). For context, Koreans made a record 29.55 million outbound trips in 2025. Only Japan, at 9.46 million, drew more of them than Vietnam (Korea Tourism Organization via Yanolja Research and Korea Travel Times, 2026). Korea was the third-largest source of visitors to ASEAN in 2024, behind only China and Singapore (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). Multiverse Partners buys Korean media for tourism boards and airlines through its Seoul partner, in Korean, on Korean platforms.

Which ASEAN markets do Japanese tourists visit most? Thailand first, where Japan was ninth in the January to July 2025 ranking. Then Vietnam at 814,000, Singapore at 628,000, the Philippines, where Japan ranked third, and Indonesia at 380,000 (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2026; VNAT, 2026; STB, 2026; Department of Tourism Philippines, 2026; BPS, 2026). ASEAN as a whole received 3.6 million Japanese visitors in 2024 (ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism, 2025). For context, Japanese made 14.7 million outbound trips in 2025, up 13%. That is still 27% below the 2019 peak of 20.1 million. South Korea, the United States and Taiwan are the largest destinations (Immigration Services Agency of Japan via JTB Tourism Research, 2026). That gap is the opportunity. Japan is the recovery market to plan for now. Multiverse Partners plans it through direct access to Japan's leading news and travel media.

Which ASEAN markets should a foreign tourism board target for outbound travellers? Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, by destination-reported volume and spend. Japan alone received 1.23 million Thais, 885,000 Filipinos, 726,000 Singaporeans, 679,000 Vietnamese, 641,000 Indonesians and 637,000 Malaysians in 2025 (JNTO, 2026). Multiverse Partners builds source-market campaigns for these five from Singapore, with publishers and local partners contracted in each.

Which ASEAN countries offer digital nomad visas? Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have live schemes. Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa runs five years, with 180 days per entry. Malaysia's DE Rantau Nomad Pass runs one year and is renewable. Indonesia's E33G remote worker permit runs one year. The Philippines has created one by executive order but had not begun issuing it by August 2026 (ThaiEmbassy.com, 2026; The Diplomat, 2026; Genki, 2026). Nomads are a distinct audience. They stay long, spend high, and are reached through in-market media rather than source-market media. Multiverse Partners plans them through the local publishers, out-of-home and digital inventory it holds in each hub city.

How do you advertise across ASEAN under one contract? Eleven currencies, eleven regulators and eleven media ecosystems make direct buying slow and expensive. Multiverse Partners is a global media buying partner. It has direct access to the region's leading news, broadcast, out-of-home and digital media owners across 50+ markets. It settles with every publisher in local currency, under one agreement and one invoice. Ask us for the current publisher list for your brief.

Contact Multiverse Partners

Talk to us about your global media buying strategy:

Basil Chua, Managing Director, basil@multiversepartners.com
Eunice Goh, Chief Client Officer, eunice@multiversepartners.com
General enquiries: hello@multiversepartners.com

Multiverse Partners Network Pte Ltd. Registered office: 8 Wilkie Road 03-01, Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095.

Website: www.multiversepartners.com

Sources.

IMF (2026) World Economic Outlook, April 2026 database: nominal GDP, population, real growth and PPP per capita for the eleven members: https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPD@WEO
ASEANstats (2025) ASEAN Statistical Highlights 2025 (2024 data on GDP, population, trade, FDI and visitor arrivals): https://www.aseanstats.org/publication/ash2025/ (PDF: https://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ASH2025v251112.pdf)
World Bank (2026) World Development Indicators: merchandise exports and imports (WTO basis), FDI net inflows and outflows (IMF balance of payments basis): https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TX.VAL.MRCH.CD.WT, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.VAL.MRCH.CD.WT, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BM.KLT.DINV.CD.WD
ASEAN Secretariat and UNCTAD (2025) ASEAN Investment Report 2025: https://asean.org/book/asean-investment-report-2025-foreign-direct-investment-and-supply-chain-development/
UNCTAD (2026) World Investment Report 2026, regional release for developing Asia: https://unctad.org/news/developing-asia-leads-investment-among-developing-regions-patterns-shift-within-region
ASEAN (2025) Forging a New Era: Timor-Leste Admitted into ASEAN, 26 October 2025: https://asean.org/forging-a-new-era-timor-leste-admitted-into-asean/
UN DESA (2024) World Population Prospects 2024, median age for South-Eastern Asia: https://population.un.org/wpp/
ASEAN Secretariat, ERIA and UN Tourism (2025) ASEAN Tourism Outlook 2025 (published February 2026): https://asean.org/book/asean-tourism-outlook-2025/
Tourism Authority of Thailand (2024) Visa-free entry to Thailand for 93 countries and territories from 15 July 2024: https://www.tourismthailand.org/Articles/visa-free-entry-to-thailand-en; Royal Gazette regulations ending the 60-day exemption from 15 September 2026, via Bangkok Post (May 2026): https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3257580/thailand-ends-60day-visafree-stay and ThaiEmbassy.com (July 2026): https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thailand-approves-end-of-60-day-visa-free-stay
Government of Malaysia, visa exemptions for Chinese and Indian nationals, via Tempo (January 2026): https://en.tempo.co/read/2079948/malaysia-surpasses-thailand-as-tourist-arrivals-reach-38-3-million; Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), January to May 2025 arrivals by market, via Malay Mail (July 2025): https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/07/22/malaysia-records-169m-tourist-arrivals-in-first-five-months-of-2025-a-204pc-increase-from-last-year/184815
Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (2025) visa exemption effects on European and Russian arrivals: https://2025.vietnam.travel/en/tag/international-visitor-arrivals/
Department of Tourism, Philippines, 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, via Philstar Life (January 2026): https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/893216-philippines-6-4-million-foreign-arrivals-2025
ThaiEmbassy.com (2026) Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) 2026: Official Guide and Requirements: https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/dtv-visa-thailand
The Diplomat (2026) ASEAN's Quiet Competition for Digital Nomads: https://thediplomat.com/2026/01/aseans-quiet-competition-for-digital-nomads/
Vialto Partners (2025) Philippines Immigration: New Digital Nomad Visa, Executive Order No. 86: https://vialtopartners.com/regional-alerts/philippines-immigration-new-digital-nomad-visa-to-support-remote-work-arrangements; issuance status as of August 2026 via Genki (2026): https://guide.genki.world/philippines-digital-nomad-visa/
ASEAN Tourism Ministers' joint statement, ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, via Philippine News Agency (January 2026): https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1268098
Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand, full-year 2025 via Nation Thailand (January 2026): https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40060860; January to July 2025 ranking (August 2025): https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40053595
Tourism Malaysia and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC): 2025 total via Malay Mail (January 2026): https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/27/zahid-malaysias-2025-tourist-arrivals-rise-112pc-govt-to-boost-coordination-for-vm2026/206925; 2024 top-ten ranking via Malay Mail (April 2025): https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/01/07/tourist-arrivals-to-malaysia-surge-313pc-to-67-million-in-first-two-months-of-2025-driven-by-singapore-china-and-indonesia/162389; January to June 2026 infographic with 2025 comparatives: https://data.tourism.gov.my/frontend/pdf/2026/infographics/Infographic_Visitor_Arrival_Performance_Jan_Jun_2026_Full.pdf
Ministry of Finance Malaysia, written parliamentary reply on 2025 tourism receipts (RM110.6 billion) and outbound travel (66.6 million trips), via The Star (March 2026): https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/03/03/travel-boom-lifts-malaysias-2025-tourism-revenue-to-rm492bil-net-inflow
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) (2026) media release, 3 February 2026, and monthly arrivals by place of residence (SingStat Table M550001): https://www.stb.gov.sg/about-stb/media-publications/media-centre/record-singapore-tourism-receipts-from-january-to-september-2025/
BPS-Statistics Indonesia (2026) International Visitor Arrival Statistics 2025: https://www.bps.go.id/en/publication/2026/04/30/4fb8642851550952baead819/international-visitor-arrival-statistics-2025.html; BPS (2025) National Tourist Statistics 2024, outbound trips and destinations, via Katadata (March 2025): https://databoks.katadata.co.id/en/consumer-services/statistics/67d7c344690df/many-indonesian-tourists-travel-to-these-10-countries-in-2024
Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) (2026) 2025 results: https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/en/post/21493; National Statistics Office Vietnam, fourth quarter and 2025 release: https://www.nso.gov.vn/en/data-and-statistics/2026/01/socio-economic-situation-in-the-fourth-quarter-and-2025/
Department of Tourism Philippines (DOT), 2025 performance via Manila Bulletin (January 2026): https://mb.com.ph/2026/01/20/dot-quality-tourism-not-arrivals-alone-defined-ph-gains-in-2025; market detail via Inside Asian Gaming: https://asgam.com/2026/01/25/philippines-visitor-arrivals-rise-0-76-to-6484060-in-2025-after-strong-december-tourism-numbers/
Cambodia Ministry of Tourism, 2025 results via Khmer Times (January 2026): https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501835731/cambodia-records-5-5m-tourists-in-2025-as-thai-aggression-dents-arrivals/; Tourism Statistics Report December 2024: https://asset.cambodia.gov.kh/tourism/2025/01/CAM122024.pdf; GDP share via Khmer Times (February 2025): https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501646275/cambodia-anticipates-welcoming-as-many-as-7-5m-tourists-in-2025-minister/
Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2025 results via KPL: https://kpl.gov.la/En/detail.aspx?id=96974; Q1 2025 market detail: https://www.tourismlaos.org/2025/06/23/laos-sees-1-2-million-tourist-arrivals-in-q1-2025-up-28-percent-from-previous-year/
Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, 2025 results via Xinhua (January 2026): http://english.news.cn/20260122/56af582081ff4431af12e9a9949c85a4/c.html
Brunei Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Tourism Industry Performance Report 2024: https://www.tourism.gov.bn/SiteCollectionDocuments/Statistics/20250228_Brunei%20Darussalam%20Tourism%20Industry%20Performance%20Report.pdf; China market share via The Star (October 2025): https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2025/10/09/brunei-sees-tourism-boost-from-growing-chinese-market
Timor-Leste General Directorate of Statistics, tourism statistics; UN Tourism arrivals series via World Bank: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?locations=TL
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) (2026) visitor arrivals, December 2025 release: https://www.jnto.go.jp/en/news/20260121.pdf
Hong Kong Tourism Board (2026) 2025 full-year visitor arrivals: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/content/dam/dhk/intl/corporate/newsroom/press-release/hktb/2026/01-2025-Full-Year-Visitor-Arrivals-E.pdf; 2024 arrivals by market, HKTB PartnerNet
Taiwan Tourism Administration, 2025 arrivals by residence via TVBS (April 2026): https://news.tvbs.com.tw/english/3169941
Korea Tourism Organization data via Yanolja Research (February 2026): https://www.yanolja-research.com/brief/view/705?lang=en; Korean outbound destinations 2025, Korea Tourism Organization compilation via Korea Travel Times (February 2026): https://www.traveltimes.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=415287
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, outbound travellers 2025, compiled by JTB Tourism Research and Consulting (August 2026): https://www.tourism.jp/en/tourism-statistics/outbound-travel-statistics/
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026) Overseas Arrivals and Departures, December 2025, Table 5, short-term visitor arrivals by country of residence: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/tourism-and-transport/overseas-arrivals-and-departures-australia/dec-2025
WTTC (2025) Economic Impact Research, as presented to the ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting, via Philippine Information Agency (January 2026): https://pia.gov.ph/news/wttc-philippines-among-top-tourism-economies-in-gdp-contribution-and-job-generation/