Ep 104: The SEA Travel News Show: Two Months To Rescue Travel & Tourism in 2021!

About This Episode

4 Nov 2021 • 23m00s

It’s been a dismal year so far for travel and tourism in South East Asia. Now, as vaccine rollouts accelerate and events – and reopening speculation – gather pace, we’re launching a brand new weekly show.

The SEA Travel News Show will feature a snappy mix of news, updates and mini interviews to keep you up to speed with the latest happenings here in South East Asia.

Our take-off edition features the latest from Thailand, Bali, Singapore and Australia.

Hannah joins Gary to chat through the potential outlook for travel and tourism for the rest of 2021 - and into 2022.

Phnom Penh-based Nick Ray, Founder of Hanuman Films and long-time Lonely Planet writer, dials in from the World Travel Market (WTM) in London to tell us about the South East Asian presence at the show.

And we finish in the Maldives, which recently received its 1 millionth visitor in 2021. Ruth Franklin, Co-Founder of Secret Paradise Maldives, tells us why she is feeling optimistic for tourism to the Indian Ocean archipelago in 2022.


The following podcast episodes were mentioned in this show:

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
21 Aug 2026 • 35m46s

Ep 316: Thailand's Tourism Tax is Back, Vietnam Targets 50 Million Visitors & Russia Entices South East Asian Tourists

“Tourists are now viewed as a source of taxation revenue. It’s increasingly hard to raise taxes on your own citizens, but if you have 30+ million tourists each year, that’s a lot of potential tax you can raise.” This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the multiple challenges Thailand faces in increasing its proposed tourism tax, from THB300 to THB450 - and collecting it. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s stellar tourism run continues with a raft of upcoming initiatives and an eye-watering new inbound tourism target.
Play
14 Aug 2026 • 27m26s

Ep 315: Australia Zones-in on ASEAN Tourists, Vietnam Loads Up WeChat & Brunei Wants to Join the "1 Million Tourists Club"

“With two-thirds of 2026 almost complete, tourism strategies, plans and developments are loaded with extra meaning. 2027 is looming up ahead… This week, Gary and Hannah journey across South East Asia and to Australia to ask and answer this week’s top tourism questions. We begin Down Under where Australia’s new 10-year tourism roadmap is simply world class. We discuss why. Next to Brunei, which is rolling out various tourism initiatives as it targets 1 million arrivals in 2027.