Travel and tourism in South East Asia are heavily stat-driven. Indeed, 2024 is turning out to be a year of shouting loudly about milestones and 2019 catch-ups across the region. So, this week, Hannah and Gary assess 8 hot numerical topics, taking us to Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Japan. En route, we deconstruct the 2023 total of 100 million arrivals to South East Asia, and analyse the Q1 figures in key markets. Thailand is out front in ASEAN, while...

As sustainability targets in aviation gain sharper focus, airlines and governments in South East Asia are racing to implement strategies. These range from sustainable aviation fuel levies to in-house trainings. With news this week that Malaysia plans to implement a carbon levy, Hannah picks the perfect time to discuss a broad range of issues with Philip See, Group Chief Sustainability Officer & CEO of Loyalty and Travel Solutions, of the Malaysia Aviation Group. This compelling chat takes...

Well, we’ve completed the first quarter of 2024 – where did that go? March was another frenetic month, with plenty of travel and tourism news, statistics, announcements and pronouncements. So where is South East Asia at exactly 2 years after the region began to reopen after the pandemic? Gary and Hannah discuss March’s Top 8 talking points, with stop-offs in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and China. En route, we analyse potential legislative shifts for...

Welcome to our new monthly mini-roundup of the key moments from The South East Asia Travel Show’s recent editions. The March rewind features red-hot talking points including ASEAN's domestic and international flight recovery, Indonesia's most popular outbound destinations, the opportunities for adventure travel in Laos and China's remarkable inbound tourism policy shift. We also discuss Thailand's Prime Minister becoming the nation's pre-eminent tourism salesman, and the passing on of travel...

"It is my dream for Laos to be at the centre of adventure eco-tourism in the region." Laos is a beautiful land-locked nation clad in forested mountains, but its adventure and eco-tourism sectors are still developing from a low base. This week, Gary and Hannah welcome Inthy Deuansavanh, Head of Vientiane-based Inthira Group, which owns and operates eco-minded hotels, resorts, restaurants and adventure travel experiences throughout Laos. A lifelong hiker and camping enthusiast, Inthy's journey...

Indonesia is by some margin the largest country, with the largest population and largest economy, in South East Asia. It also counts a fascinating interplay between inbound and outbound travel and a vast domestic travel and tourism sector. This week, Gary and Hannah welcome back Pauline Suharno, President of ASTINDO, the Indonesian Travel Agents Association, to discuss the overall recovery in 2023, and the outlook for 2024. En route, we discuss the hot destinations for outbound tourists, the...

From Changi's statistical milestone to a festive travel renaissance and Taylor Diplomacy to Thailand's 'Tourism Salesman'. As  the end of Q1 2024 draws near, we move towards another major milestone. Nearly two years ago, on 1 April 2022, South East Asia began to fully reopen after the dark days of the pandemic. So, how has the first quarter of 2024 panned out, and what were the key takeaways? This week, Gary and Hannah assess the Top 8 travel and tourism talking points from throughout the...

Today marks 4 years since the WHO declared Covid-19 a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. We know what happened next, especially in Asia Pacific where the impacts on travel lasted longer than elsewhere. So where is South East Asia's air travel recovery currently at – and what is the outlook for the rest of the year, and beyond? To discuss these big questions, Gary chats with Brendan Sobie, Founder of Sobie Aviation and one of the region’s most prolific aviation analysts. The discussion covers...

Are we seeing the start of a transformation in China's travel sector? While outbound tourism grabs the headlines, a vibrant domestic travel recovery and a shift towards opening up its inbound sector garner less coverage. That is starting to change as the Chinese government expands its visa-free policy to visitors from 15 countries (11 from Europe and 4 from South East Asia). Given that inbound travel has always been a low priority, has the pandemic changed everything? And how closely is this...

Wherever you travel in South East Asia, it’s impossible to miss that transport infrastructure is being built out on a vast scale. After the lull of the pandemic era, this will accelerate over the next decade and beyond. Airport capacities are being expanded, high-speed and urban railways constructed and even new cities built from scratch. So how will this influence the future direction of travel and tourism in the region? This week, Gary is joined by James Clark, Founder of the Future South...

Happy Anniversary to us. Launched on 9 January 2020, The South East Asia Travel Show has reached the 200 episodes milestone. This week, Gary and Hannah reflect on the key travel and tourism issues from the past four years, a large chunk of which was clouded by the pandemic. Within one month of launching, the WHO classified the Novel Coronavirus as a global health emergency, and two months later declared a pandemic. Despite covering travel during a period when very little travel was actually...

Bali has bounced back impressively over the past year for international and domestic arrivals - but will that momentum endure as regional competition intensifies in 2024? This week, Bali introduces the International Tourism Levy, which must be paid in addition to the visa-on-arrival fee. Could this impact tourist numbers? To help us piece together the details and discuss the tourism outlook, Gary and Hannah welcome back Simona Chimenti and Melina Caruso of the Bali Hotels Association. We...

This week, multi-Grammy-winning Taylor Swift kicks off her Asia tour in Tokyo ahead of dates in Melbourne, Sydney and six sold-out shows in Singapore. Music tourism is a hot emerging trend in Asia, with destinations like Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Macau, Bangkok, Jakarta and Hong Kong competing to attract shows by Asian and global megastars. So, what happens next? Could Concert Tickets & Events Travel Packages become a new category on OTA and SuperApp platforms alongside hotels, flights and...

The 2023 visitor arrivals and airport passenger statistics are published, and the gloves are off. As the region prepares for a vibrant Lunar New Year travel season, 2024 is set to be the most shape-shifting year for travel since 2019. So, how has South East Asia started the year in travel and tourism terms? Gary and Hannah discuss January’s Top 8 talking points, which include bilateral visa-free travel agreements with China, proposals for a "seamless ASEAN" and a "single ASEAN airline", plus...

Boosted by a population surpassing 100 million, Vietnam counts one of the region’s fastest growing travel and aviation markets. To assess the outlook for tourism in 2024, Gary and Hannah welcome back Ho Chi Minh City-based Mike Tatarski, founder of the Vietnam Weekly newsletter. We begin by recapping the 2023 recovery for inbound, outbound and domestic travel, and dissect the top visitor markets. We discuss the challenges for the air market, particularly with high prices irking domestic...

As we begin the second full calendar year of travel and tourism in South East Asia since the pandemic, it’s time to look ahead at what 2024 might offer. This week, Gary and Hannah discuss their Top 10 list of travel and tourism wishes, expectations and forecasts for 2024. It’s going to a be competitive and challenging year, but scratching beneath the surface what are the critical issues to be addressed? We expect visa waivers will be a key destination battleground, ponder whether ASEAN should...

The first full calendar year of travel and tourism in South East Asia since the pandemic is almost complete. And what a dramatic 12 months it has been. To take stock, Gary and Hannah have created a list of the Top 10 travel and tourism talking points in South East Asia and beyond in 2023. Our review of the year journeys from Indonesia to China, via Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. En route, we discuss the region's first high-speed railway, the return of visa waivers...

Just back from Jakarta and Hanoi, respectively, Gary and Hannah can confirm that South East Asian airports are getting busier as the end-of-year travel season nears. So, it's the perfect time to revisit some key tourism themes in 2023 with Bangkok-based travel journalist Vincent Vichit-Vadakan. Vincent was last on the show in April 2022, when the regional outlook was very different. This year, he has travelled on assignment to over 25 destinations including Singapore and Vietnam on various...

From 9 to 4 trillion. South East Asia its awash with travel stats. Figures and percentages garner extra importance as we near the year end, and the travel industry plans ahead for 2024. This week, Gary and Hannah go behind the scenes of statistical storytelling, and uncover some fascinating travel and tourism talking points. En route, we travel to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam via Singapore, the Philippines, China and Japan. Key issues discussed from a statistical perspective...

Could Brunei become a regional aviation hub connecting China and South East Asia? And how might AI, humanoid simulants and an apocalyptic sci-fi landscape boost movie tourism in Thailand? This week, Gary and Hannah have created a list of 8 travel developments that may not make major headlines, but are still highly interesting. These  tourism talking points that snuck under the radar take us from Singapore to Brunei, Indonesia to China and Thailand to Japan. En route, we discuss a start-up...

So, we are on the final stretch for 2023 - with 10 months down, 2 to go. While this historically marks a busy part of the calendar for travel in South East Asia, it’s also a time when jitters start setting in for the new year ahead. So where are we at? This week, Gary and Hannah discuss October’s Top 8 travel talking points, which take us from Thailand to Indonesia, Malaysia to Vietnam and Cambodia to the Philippines. En route, we discuss the latest arrivals figures and an interesting UNWTO...

"AI will fundamentally change the way people travel, the way OTAs work and how hotels have to adapt. We are still in the very early stages." Golden Week is behind us, and travel players are looking ahead to hotel bookings, rates and revenues for the end-of-year tourism season and Lunar New Year. So it’s a great time for Gary and Hannah to welcome Vikram Malhi, Founder and CEO of Singapore-based Zuzu Hospitality to the show. Vikram worked for leading OTAs before setting up his own company,...

3. 23. 150,000. 17.9 million. 34 million. 80%. Numbers and statistics carry extra weight in South East Asia as we enter the fourth quarter, which is peak travel season in many countries and arrivals counting gets highly competitive. So what do those numbers relate to? This week, Gary and Hannah analyse the 8 top talking points from September - and the meaning of each figure is revealed during the show. The monthly round up takes us from Singapore to the Philippines via Malaysia, Cambodia,...

"The rates are not likely to drop from here." South East Asian hotel economics are changing since countries reopened - or are they? This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the outlook for the hotel sector in South East Asia and Asia Pacific with Jesper Palmqvist, Senior Director, Asia Pacific, at STR CoStar. We discuss the different drivers shaping room rates, occupancies and RevPar, as well as costs, productivity and profits, in cities and coastal areas across the region. Is business travel...