The South East Asia Travel Show

Selfie Travel Culture in SEA

Posting on Instagram and WeChat has transformed travel in South East Asia. In this edition, Gary and Hannah analyse the origins of 'selfie tourism', and how travel brands are using it to their advantage. En route, they namecheck several photogenic locations, from rooftop Bangkok bars, overnight trains in Myanmar and side alleys in Penang to the temples of Angkor Wat, mirrored backdrops in Bali and romantic shots at Marina Bay. [Apologies for the slightly reduced sound quality on this edition.]

Locked Down in Malaysia

This week, Gary and Hannah are in different locations in the Malaysian capital as the Movement Control Order locks down daily life. Our 10th podcast discusses how the lockdown came about, and the impact so far on travel and tourism as well as ordinary living. With Malaysia having the fifth-highest COVID-19 infection rate in Asia, concerns abound that the two-week lockdown will be extended - and made stricter. How much more havoc will the coronavirus wreak throughout South East Asia?

Dreaming of a Travel & Tourism Recovery

With confirmed Coronavirus cases in more than 100 countries, Gary and Hannah ask "When can a tourism recovery realistically begin?" Encouraging consumers to start travelling again is a monumental task, but does the current stasis offer a chance to pause and rethink the entire travel sector? In this episode, we discuss a wish list of 8 issues that the travel and tourism industry could iron out before the coronavirus is (eventually) contained.

Another Torrid Week For Travel in Asia

With the coronavirus inflicting more damage on tourism across Asia, Gary and Hannah sift through the latest effects. They assess the damage to inbound, outbound and domestic travel in South East Asia, report on government stimulus measures to support tourism businesses, and look ahead at how the industry may manage the hoped-for travel rebound. A few thoughts are also spared for the team managing this year's Toughest Job in Tourism Marketing: promoting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

COVID-19 Wreaks Travel Havoc Across Asia

Renamed COVID-19, the coronavirus continues to slam tourism economies across Asia. In this episode, Gary and Hannah sift through the damage for countries in South East Asia, and assess the latest statistics and postponements of travel trade shows. The gloom continues with the latest on AirAsia's Airbus troubles, but a glimmer of light is offered by the 2nd Asia Destination Film Awards - which showcase the visual creativity of tourism marketers and travellers across the region.

Travel Buzzword Bingo

Mark your bingo card as Gary and Hannah call out the phrases beloved by the travel industry. They assess the jargon that is hot and emerging - and the tired cliches that have outstayed their welcome. From the Klook generation, ultra-long-haul and Bleisure to Super-host, In-destination booking and Panicdemic, this episode gets vocal about the language of tourism.

Novel Coronavirus Global Emergency: Asia's Travel Fear Factor Returns

This special update assesses the impact of the Novel Coronavirus on travel and tourism during Chinese New Year, and looks ahead to the potential impact for Asia's tourism economy in Q1. We’ve identified 5 key vulnerabilities across Greater China, North and South East Asia and worldwide. We also discuss the potency of the Fear Factor for business and conference travel, leisure trips and upcoming travel periods, such as Sakura season in Japan and, looking ahead, the Tokyo Olympics.

20 for the 2020s: An SEA Travel Wishlist - Part 2

Gary and Hannah debate items 11-20 on their '20 for the 2020s' travel wish list. Hot topics include the future of travel agents in South East Asia, managing the challenges of more intra-ASEAN travel, and the potential impact of superbugs on tourism in Asia and worldwide. The pod also questions the ubiquity of 'personalised' travel and asks if this will be the decade when 'unthinking' tourism is curtailed. And could restaurants open up their own airlines in future?