Ep 121: Two Years of Travel Disruption, Part II: Bali, Indonesia & Beyond with Stuart McDonald

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9 Feb 2022 • 33m18s

The prolonged closure of Bali has been a global media case study for the two-year decline of travel in South East Asia. As it slowly reopens, Gary chats to Bali-based Stuart McDonald, Founder of independent travel information company Travelfish, a prolific travel journalist and a respected voice on tourism in South East Asia.

In April 2020, Stuart came onto the show (episode 13) and said: “I think we’re looking at least 2 to 2.5 years from today before any kind of substantial recreational tourism restarts. Obviously, I hope I’m wrong.”

He reflects on that statement and describes what has (and hasn’t) changed across Bali, including popular destinations such as Canggu, Ubud and Kuta. Having taken a recent trip to Flores, Stuart discusses ongoing development in Labuan Bajo - one of Indonesia’s Super Priority tourism investment destinations) - and changes under way at the Komodo National Park.

He also recounts tales of diving one of Indonesia’s best sites, meeting Bulgarian backpackers and speaking with elders in a beautiful remote village.

Plus, why is travel insurance a bigger issue than ever before, and why did Stuart decide to return to study for an MSc in Responsible Tourism Management?

« Next Episode Ep 122: Two Years of Travel Disruption, Part 3: A New Era Beckons in Singapore, with Karen Yue Previous Episode » Ep 120: Two Years of Travel Disruption, Part I: 15 Temporary & Permanent Changes in Travel

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Ep 121: Two Years of Travel Disruption, Part II: Bali, Indonesia & Beyond with Stuart McDonald

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 243: 12 Things We Often Forget About the Covid Travel Era in South East Asia: Five Years of the Pandemic in Review

Ep 242: The Tourism Outlook Between Australia, South East Asia, China & India, with Garrett Tyler-Parker, Tourism Research Australia

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman