The tourism industry has become one of the hardest hit sectors in the global economy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In most ASEAN countries, tourism is the backbone of the national economy. The study aims to trace the impact of border closures on the national economies of the ASEAN countries and assess the negative impact of the pandemic on sustainable development.The author comes to the following conclusions: firstly, the high dependence on international tourism in several ASEAN countries (Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore) led to a greater reduction in GDP during the pandemic than in countries that did not experience such high dependence on tourism. Secondly, the Chinese factor played a significant role in the development of the industry in the countries of the Association. The intensity of tourist contacts was influenced by the position of China and the national governments on territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Thirdly, in the restoration of the tourism industry, the main role belongs to national governments. ASEAN's initiatives have not yet been implemented at the international level and are more of a declarative nature.In ASEAN countries, there are two main approaches to the recovery of the industry. The countries of the first group chose the course of closing the borders until the end of the vaccination campaign. The states of the second group are characterized by an approach aimed at the gradual opening of borders within the framework of various initiatives (tourist corridors, travel “bubbles”, isolated opening of tourist islands, targeting specific resource markets). The spread of new strains of coronavirus does not cause a significant course correction, which in many countries is presented as a single “road map” for recovery, which is more related to vaccination rates and dependence on international tourism.