Why Trust Matters for Asia Tourism as Crisis Deepens
Photo Credit: With its wide array of attractions and safe image, Singapore is a magnate for leisure and business travelers alike. Singapore Tourism Board
Skift Take
The coronavirus not only exposes the varying political alignments between Asian governments with China, but also their different approaches to crisis communications, all of which would have knock-on impacts on travel confidence to a country.
The deadly coronavirus is proving to be an increasingly difficult issue for many Asian countries. Not only are the region’s governments facing a spreading virus outbreak that has surpassed the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in its fatality toll, they are also grappling with eroding trust among their populations as fallouts from the coronavirus deepen beyond tourism and the related industries.
As countries weigh the pros and cons between protecting citizens and their alignment with China, there is a remarkable disparity in how Asian governments have moved to restrict the entry of Chinese visitors as well as their approaches to crisis communication.
One particular standout is Singapore. When panic buying swooped across Singapore after the government raised the pandemi
