The South East Asia Travel Show

The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in October 2023

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 tourism measurement pilot programme in the Philippines. Two regional airlines collapsed in October and another is preparing to list on the Nasdaq. Meanwhile, are slumping currencies starting to impact tourism activity? Plus, Indonesia launched WHOOSH, South East Asia's first high-speed railway, and Cambodia inaugurated a new international airport. Finally, what do the “Two Countries, One Destination” and “Three Countries, One Destination” taglines refer to - and to whom do they matter more, politicians or travellers?
 
 
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AI, OTAs, Payments & Ancillary Revenues for Independent Hotels, with Vikram Malhi, Zuzu Hospitality

"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, which supports independent hotels to manage all aspects related to payments, revenues and online distribution. We discuss the hotel sector rebound in key markets like Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta and Bali. And, we assess the outlook for Chinese tourism into South East Asia, and the impressive expansion of India's outbound market. Plus, we tackle the next phase of development of AI solutions for OTAs and hotels, and the ongoing resource challenges across the hospitality industry. Finally, as we move towards wrapping up 2023, what might be some of the key industry trends in 2024?

The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in September 2023

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, Thailand and Indonesia. En route, we discuss proposed new airports, an upbeat destination marketing video, the timeline for a new tourism tax and a flag carrier's catering woes. Plus, we discuss movies in China that have caused fears about scams and fraud in South East Asia and new inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Reflections on the Hotel Sector Recovery in South East Asia in 2023, with Jesper Palmqvist, STR

"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 demand recovering? Will we see an expansion of 'Compression Nights"? Are pre-pandemic seasonality factors still relevant for hotels, or are new factors in play? How is the strength of domestic travel impacting hotel operator bottom lines? Is the gradual return of Chinese group travel likely to impact rates and occupancies in hotspot markets? What are the developmental challenges in second- and third-tier cities? Are sustainability data points playing a stronger role in hotel transactions? And, as governments scale up transport infrastructure investment, what will be the hotel pipeline trends to watch in 2024?

Behind the Scenes of Australia’s Tourism Transformation Plan, with Samantha Palmer, AusTrade

Australia counts one of Asia Pacific's most fascinating visitor economies. It combines vibrant inbound, outbound and domestic leisure and business travel segments with large international education, VFR and working holiday components. One in 7 businesses in Australia is related to tourism. So, how is Australia recovering from Covid-19, and how is it planning ahead for the rest of the decade, and beyond? This week, Gary and Hannah welcome Samantha Palmer, General Manager of Visitor Economy and Client Programs, at the Australian Trade & Investment Commission (AusTrade), to discuss the Thrive 2030 tourism strategy. Sam talks about the International Diversification Strategy for the Visitor Economy, which sets new benchmarks and targets for Australia's 15 key inbound markets and fast-growing emerging markets. We also discuss the importance of travellers from China and South East Asia, and the unfolding opportunities and challenge in this complex new travel era. Plus, Sam outlines the high degree of detailed research and industry collaboration underpinning Australia's goal of achieving a full visitor economy recovery by 2025 - and building new resilience for the future. 
 
detail with Sam on today’s show

The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in August 2023

From 4.4 million to 15.4 million. Thailand is way out in front in South East Asia for year-to-date visitors in 2023 vs 2022. Two-thirds through 2023, Gary and Hannah look back to compare the progress for visitor arrivals in 7 ASEAN nations. We also discuss 8 other key talking points from August, as the summer holiday season subsides and the region prepares for the Chinese Golden Week in October. En route, we discuss new developments in ASEAN's cross-border payments programme, and assess the outlook in Thailand as a new Prime Minister vows to prioritise tourism. We question why visa challenges still endure in some countries long after the region reopened for travel. Plus, will Japan's new LCC create more travel to or from Thailand when it launches its first route to Bangkok in early 2024? Finally, we ask how Bhutan's halving of its Sustainable Development Fee for visitors could impact tourism pricing in South East Asia. Is there a breakpoint whereby tourists say "No, we are not prepared to pay that" for sustainable travel experiences?

Celebrating South East Asian Cuisines & Food Cultures with the Kita Food Festival

"This is a South East Asian festival. It will be a mouthpiece for us to develop the vocabulary that surrounds South East Asian cooking, food culture and, moving forward, South East Asian restaurants." This week, Gary is joined by Leisa Tyler and Darren Teoh, co-founders of the Kita Food Festival - which this year celebrates its third anniversary in Malaysia and Singapore. Leisa is a Malaysia-based food and travel journalist and founder of Weeds&More, which supplies heirloom produce to hotels and restaurants. Darren is Head Chef of one-Michelin starred Dewakan restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.  The festival takes place in four destinations, Kuching, Penang, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, from 27 September-30 October. It brings together innovative chefs in each city with counterparts from around the region. It also provides a platform to discuss key issues, such as biodiversity, carbon impact, food security and managing waste. Leisa and Darren discuss the highlights of this year's festival, plans for future expansion and nurturing the next generation of chefs in the region. Plus, we tackle key hospitality issues, such as ingredient sourcing, innovation and the growing Michelin star influence on food tourism and dining in Asia. Is it a help or a hindrance to developing sustainable culinary scenes representing place and culture?
 
 

Pop Music Tourism in the Spotlight as Taylor Swift & Blackpink Fever Grips South East Asia

South East Asia is abuzz with talk of Tourism Taylornomics as Singapore prepares for the billion-dollar Eras Tour to arrive. Coldplay are also headed to the region, Blackpink are filling soccer stadiums and fans await news of Beyonce's 2024 tour destinations. Pop Music Tourism is the region's breakout story of 2023. The economic windfall for airlines, hotels and tours and experiences players is enormous - as is the boost for destination branding. After Blackpink's recent Hanoi shows, a city official sent the band a letter to thank them for enhancing the capital's image "as a peaceful, safe and friendly destination". Meanwhile, The Weeknd is producing a Halloween-themed musical show in Singapore, and scores of K-pop bands are escaping the shadow of BTS to draw large crowds. Plus, we discuss a jazz festival in Jakarta (with stages sponsored by a hotel group and a tourism board), performances by Indian stars in KL - and the social media fallout when things go wrong, as recently happened with The 1975's festival performance in Malaysia. And we take a quick tour to North East Asia, where festivals in Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan are drawing huge crowds of concertgoers from home and abroad.