Cheap flights, backpacker hostels and beautiful beaches have helped make Southeast Asia one of the world’s most resilient travel regions.
Now, though, as the fallout from the Iran conflict ripples through global energy markets, that identity is far less stable.
From rising airfares and fuel costs to falling visitor numbers in tourism-dependent economies such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, the region is discovering just how vulnerable summer travel remains to events unfolding miles away.
The equilibrium of its upcoming peak tourist summer season is in doubt, as ceasefire uncertainties continue to prompt flight cancellations and higher ticket prices.
A recovering region in chaos
