The South East Asia Travel Show

The Travel Fun is Back in the Philippines, with Feliz Axalan, Tradewings

"The fun is back in the Philippines... even more so!" It's almost a year since the Philippines reopened its borders after the pandemic. Inbound, outbound and domestic travel volumes are expanding fast. To gain a clearer picture of the travel recovery in South East Asia's second-largest nation, Gary chats with Manila-based Feliz Axalan, General Manager of Tradewings Tours & Travel. We discuss the hot destinations for Philippine outbound travellers (spoiler alert: Japan yes, South Korea no) and some intriguing booking trends, visa issues and FIT vs Group Tour shifts in recent months. Feliz reveals the hotspots for domestic travel, which the Department of Tourism expects to fully recover to the 2019 level this year. For inbound travel, we look at improvements in airport infrastructure and flight access. Feliz provides insider insights about boutique hotel, villa and Airbnb bookings, and the locations travel influencers are promoting on social media. Plus, as an archipelago nation, the Philippines has big cruise travel ambitions. How will this play out in 2023 and beyond? 

Tackling South East Asia’s Big Travel & Tourism Challenges in 2023

After the disruptions of 2020, 2021 and 2022, 2023 will be the most important year for travel and tourism in living memory. Two months into the year, South East Asia is confronting an anticipated travel demand rebound now that Asia Pacific is fully open. Major issues are emerging around tourism and the environment, energy, water and waste management. Meanwhile, transport infrastructure is being built out on a massive scale across the region. So this week, Gary and Hannah rewind the big questions we've been asking and trying to answer in the first two months of the year that will shape the direction of travel over the rest of 2023. In this compilation show, we track how China’s reopening will be driven by group tour, semi-organised and independent travellers. We tackle accessible tourism in Thailand, a plastic trash report in Vietnam and, of course, AI-generative content. Plus, we look ahead to the region's first high-speed railway in Indonesia, and the high cost of sports event tourism in Cambodia.

The China v India Inbound Battle Heats Up in South East Asia

With China finally back in the game, tourism boards and the media across South East Asia are starting to compare inbound arrivals from China and India. It's still very early days, of course, but what have we learned so far? How are tourism boards dividing their marketing dollars to attract visitors from the region's two largest countries? And which country will allow Chinese tourists to pay in RMB? Also this week, Gary and Hannah discuss the new THB300 Tourism Fee in Thailand, a visa-on-arrival controversy in Malaysia, cruise ambitions in the Philippines and Vietnam's plastic trash calculations which compare the waste discarded by inbound and domestic tourists. Plus, we get rather excited about Air Japan, ANA's new low-cost carrier due to launch in 2023 which intends to "capture inbound demand from overseas by launching flights to major cities in South East Asia." We are watching the website already!

South East Asia’s Top 10 New Airport, High-Speed Rail & Transport Projects, with James Clark, Future South East Asia

"A groundbreaking moment in the history of rail travel in South East Asia." Wherever you travel in South East Asia, it’s hard to miss the transport infrastructure being built out on a vast scale – often with financing and technology from China. This will be a feature through the 2020s and beyond - albeit with countries like Japan, South Korea and maybe India joining in. This week, Gary is joined by James Clark, Producer of the Future Southeast Asia newsletter, to discuss the region's Top 10 airport, high-speed rail and other travel and transport infrastructure projects. These range from new airport terminals in Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia to South East Asia's first high-speed railway due to open later this year, and another scheduled for 2026. Plus we discuss a metro system in Vietnam, a railway upgrade connecting Bangkok and Thailand's southern beaches - and the potential issues for passengers ahead of the cross-border opening of the China-Laos railway.

Sustainable Travel Tracking in Vietnam & AI in Tourism, with Stuart McDonald, Travelfish

"It just doesn't feel like a living Vietnamese town." Environmental impact, carbon emissions and artificial intelligence (AI) are three of the hottest topics in tourism. This week, Gary & Hannah welcome back Bali-based Stuart McDonald, Founder of Travelfish, to take on these vital talking points. Stuart recently travelled through Vietnam, where he tracked his carbon footprint using the Capture and Path Net Zero apps. He discusses his findings and observations while travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi by train. Stuart also discusses the contrasting challenges (and current outcomes) for tourism in Hoi An and Hue. Taking a tangential turn, we chat about AI chatbots in tourism, and the building of AI-generated content into travel products and information services. Rounding out the discussion, we address a phantom train in Cambodia (which tops the search rankings) and diving in Raja Ampat in Indonesia. And listen out for the rooster!

The Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in January 2023

2023 is a vital year for travel and tourism in South East Asia and Asia Pacific. January was a fascinating kick-start month for the region's visitor economies. China reopened its airport gates, albeit gradually, the Lunar New Year launched the domestic and outbound travel calendar and tourism boards set out their (initial) 2023 visitor forecasts. On today's show, Gary and Hannah review January's Top 10 travel talking points and discuss what they could mean for the 12 months ahead. The journey takes us to 9 countries around the region. En route, we assess the return of Chinese tour groups to 7 ASEAN countries, discuss airport capacity in Vietnam and Thailand and address an administrative bottleneck for the Laos-China train. Plus we talk sales tax refunds in Philippines, tourism villages in Indonesia, sky-high hotel rates in Singapore and two Malaysian Prime Ministers challenged in the courts over an aborted high-speed rail project. Phew!

Ethics, Sustainability & Accessibility in Tour Operations, with Ewan Cluckie, Tripseed

What role should tour operators play in ethical tourism development? Is it worthwhile considering how to make tours more accessible? And what key challenge will tour operators face in 2023? This week, Hannah chats to Ewan Cluckie, founder of Tripseed, a Thailand-based tour operator. In a fascinating conversation, we talk about the transition that digital travel trade marketing has undergone during the pandemic and the silver lining that Covid-19 has presented to smaller tour operators. Plus, we learn about Tripseed's development of accessible travel products, and how it mapped out the accessible facilities which Thailand has to offer.
 
Along the way, we return to one big issue again and again - how can tour operators move away from a less extractive form of tourism, to one where local voices are heard and respected.

South East Asia’s Top 15 Travel & Tourism Issues to Address in 2023, with Karen Yue, TTG Asia

It's January and almost Lunar New Year - so it's time to look forward with both hope and a dash of realism. So, what does the 2023 travel year promise for countries across South East Asia, the travel industry and travellers themselves? This year, Gary and Hannah are joined by Karen Yue, Group Editor of TTG Asia, to discuss the 15 travel trends, initiatives and developments that we'll be watching closely in 2023. En route, we assess the enduring impacts of the Great Resignation, the region's changing demographics in travel and profitability vs demand in the new travel economy. We address the evolving role of NTOs and the elevated importance of niche and special interest tourism segments. Plus, we talk tech with travel fintech, e-payments and CBDCs, and metaverse and mixed-reality marketing in tourism - is it bluff, reality or is the jury still out?