Southeast Asia’s tourism sector is increasingly relying on intra-regional travel, which is proving to be a key source of resilience against global geopolitical and economic instability, according to new analysis by Deirdre Fulton of OAG.
The share of international arrivals into the region originating from within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has grown significantly, jumping from 37% in 2019 to 45% in 2024. This strong regional dependence is seen as an “ace card” that can insulate the market from potential disruptions in longer-haul travel.
While capacity is recovering, OAG data indicates the intra-ASEAN market still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting significant room for future expansion.
Summer 2025 saw 46 million scheduled seats available for travel between ASEAN countries.
This represents a 7% increase compared to Summer 2024.
However, it remains 6% below the Summer 2019 high of 50 million seats.
The landscape of regional aviation leadership is evolving. While Singapore’s Changi Airport has historically been the dominant hub for international long-haul connections, Malaysia currently leads in terms of intra-regional capacity for Summer 2025.
Malaysia holds the top spot with 19.3 million scheduled seats to other Southeast Asian countries (5.5% behind Summer 2019).
Singapore closely follows with 19 million seats (10% below Summer 2019).
Vietnam Emerges as a Regional Aviation Powerhouse
Vietnam is rapidly becoming the standout growth story in the region, dramatically expanding its aviation footprint and leading all ASEAN members in capacity growth.
Seat capacity from Vietnam to other Southeast Asian countries is up a staggering 21.8% in Summer 2025 compared to Summer 2024.
More impressively, this capacity is a strong 8.5% ahead of Summer 2019 levels.
Key growth corridors include travel between Vietnam and Indonesia, the Philippines, and Laos.
Vietnam has added new connections, now boasting 51 route connections to Southeast Asian destinations, up from 45 in 2019.
Growth is expanding beyond primary hubs Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with secondary cities Danang (five new routes) and Phu Quoc (three new routes) seeing significant additions in 2025.
“The strong performance of intra-ASEAN travel underscores the region’s inherent resilience,” said Deirdre Fulton, Analyst at OAG. “While overall seat capacity hasn’t fully rebounded to 2019 levels, pockets of exceptional growth like Vietnam highlight dynamic shifts and immense opportunities for regional connectivity and tourism in the years ahead.”
