The South East Asia Travel Show

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?

China Reopens for Travel: What Happens Next?, with Prof. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, COTRI

So, here it is… the first episode of 2023. As we roll into our 4th year of The South East Asia Travel Show, there's only one place to begin. China’s reopening currently dominates all analysis of travel and tourism. So it’s  fitting that we welcome to the show a long-time friend, Prof. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI). Flipping our usual format, Hannah interviews Wolfgang and Gary, who will co-publish The 2023 China Outbound Tourism Handbook, on 22 January.
Here is the full interview question list:
Talk us through what actually changed on 8 January in terms of border policies
Pre-pandemic, were groups of Chinese travellers or FITs the most popular?
How important is it to the world’s tourism industry that Chinese travellers are back?
How will the testing requirements for other countries impact Chinese travellers’ destination choice?
What can we expect for the Lunar New Year travel, both domestically and internationally?
What volumes should we expect for Chinese travellers in 2023 - will we see pre-pandemic levels?
Which segments of Chinese travellers will travel first?
What is the situation for international air capacity from China? Can we expect that to ramp up quickly? 
How have expectations changed for Chinese travellers?
What new segments have emerged for domestic travel? Will these apply for international travel, too?
How important is technology to Chinese travellers - and how is that different from Southeast Asia or the rest of the world?
Given that holidays and tourism are usually among the first types of consumerism cut back when spending confidence is low, in which sectors of the Chinese outbound market are these cut backs most likely? And, in what ways will Chinese tourists seek to gain more bang from their buck whilst travelling?
How can businesses ensure that they are China-ready?
 

The Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in 2022

So, here it is… our end of year review show. And what a year it’s been. As we celebrate the 3rd anniversary of The South East Asia Travel Show, it’s a pleasure to look ahead to a New Year with “cautious optimism.” Rounding out 2022, Gary and Hannah select 10 top talking points that define the rollercoaster ride over the past 12 months. En route, we journey to Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, plus India, China, Japan and 27 EU nations. We discuss new airlines, a major airline investment, sky-high hotel rates, the return of MICE, a media furore about Indonesia's new Criminal Code and much more. Plus, we remember some of the Covid-era aspects of daily life that disappeared from view as 2022 progressed.