Southeast Asia faces budget deficits if tourist numbers drop 50%

Coronavirus pandemic exposes fragility of tourism-dependent economies

Empty check-in counters at Don Mueang International Airport in Thailand are evidence of the sharp decline in Southeast Asian tourism amid the new coronavirus pandemic. © Reuters

KAZUYA MANABE and MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writers

March 18, 2020 17:01 JST

TOKYO/BANGKOK -- Cratering demand for travel in the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak is battering Southeast Asian economies heavily dependent on tourism.