Tourists are still visiting Indonesia and Malaysia despite the ongoing hazy conditions outside.
Or at least, that's what some Southeast Asian government officials are claiming.
According to Malaysian Tourism, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, because other Southeast Asia countries are also experiencing the haze, it hasn't affected the arrival of tourists into the country.
In a response to the Malay Mail about the cancellation and diverted landings of at least five flights that affected more than 1000 passengers due to poor visibility on September 13, he said not all states are affected by the haze and as such, other parts of the country can still be enjoyed by tourists.
Since the deputy minister's response, however, more flights have been cancelled on September 22 around the same routes of Johor Baru, Ipoh and Singapore. This time, the cancellations affected 747 passengers on September 22.
Similarly, Batam Tourism Agency head Ardiwinata says he is positive that the haze crisis currently surrounding Batam would not deter tourists from visiting the city and Indonesia.
"On average about 5,000 foreign tourists enter Batam every day," he says during an interview with The Jakarta Post. "Until now the number has not decreased; it even increased a little."
But that seems unlikely considering how bad the haze has gotten.
It's gotten to the point where hundreds of schools in Malaysia and Indonesia remain closed as locals are planning trips overseas to escape the smokey air.
Thousands of Chinese tourists have cancelled their holidays in Malaysia due to the haze crisis.
Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (MICA) President Angie Ng says more than 100 Chinese tour groups opted to divert their vacation plans to Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand instead.
Chinese tourists' expenditure contribute RM12.3 billion of Malaysia's tourism receipts. By losing thousands of tourists from China, Malaysia could potentially lose millions in tourist revenue.
Meanwhile, eco-tourism in Sabah and Sarawak that focus on nature and outdoor activities have been badly impacted by the smog.
According to the Malaysian Reserve, the hazy condition during 2017 in Malaysia contributed to a 12 percent year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals in September and a 6.7 percent drop in October, honorary secretary general of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Nigel Wong says. Various other factors were also credited to have contributed to the overall percentage drop.
But Malaysia isn't the only Southeast Asian country affected by the haze.
Tourists from Malaysia and Singapore are cancelling trips to Indonesia, according to Tempo. Both Malaysian and Singaporean tourists have bought tour packages of roughly US$8,168 (RP115 million) altogether.
Besides that, at least eight airports in Indonesia have been closed due to the low levels of visibility, causing various flight delays and cancellations.
The Indonesian Tourism Ministry is currently making a calculation of the total financial loss suffered by the industry.
It seems unlikely that tourism is going well in Southeast Asia when news reports seem to imply otherwise.
Instead of playing the blame game with one another or ignoring the health and livelihood local residents are facing, maybe if the number of tourists dwindle down, Southeast Asian governments will finally take notice of the crisis in front of them.
