(Yicai) July 4 -- Chinese tourists are giving the Philippines a wide berth after two senior executives working for Chinese medical device companies were recently kidnapped and killed in the Southeast Asian country, sparking public outrage.

A Chinese citizen and a Chinese American selling medical apparatus in the Philippines were held hostage and murdered, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines confirmed on July 2. No further details were released out of respect for the victims’ privacy.

The number of business travelers to the Philippines has dropped, Wei Changren, founder of travel agency Jinlv Group, told Yicai. There is a lot of trade between China and the Philippines, and most visitors come on business. The business travel market is expected to be affected in the short term.

“There are not a lot of tourists opting to travel to the Philippines this summer,” Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of tour organizer Spring Tour, told Yicai. “There are many other island getaways and Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, which are part of China’s visa waiver program, are the most popular destinations. Their tourism sectors are also more mature.”

“The number of travelers to Europe over the peak summer travel season has increased significantly, while Southeast Asia remains a big source of tourists,” Zhou said.

Travel to Europe is being boosted this year by major sports events such as the European Cup and Paris Olympics, online travel agency Tongcheng said. Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are the most popular getaways in Southeast Asia.

The price of international air tickets and hotels has slumped by around 20 percent in the past year, travel platform Qunar said. And countries with visa-free policies for Chinese travelers have become more popular.

Editor: Kim Taylor