Ep 172: Transboundary Haze Casts a Cloud Over Tourism in South East Asia

The term “haze” relates to dry season plantation burning at this time of year which creates palls of toxic smoke across the region. This is impacting communities, healthcare systems and tourism throughout mainland South East Asia. So this week, Gary and Hannah discuss the environmental stories linked to travel and tourism in South East Asia and the broader region.

We look at the transboundary haze hanging over Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam - and the likelihood of this impacting Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore once the rainy season ends in those parts.

Plus, a ‘heatwave alert’ in Thailand, an oil spill in the Philippines and “oil waste” dumped at sea reaching the coastline in Bintan. Will these events result in booking cancellations for the various festivals during April and the five-day Chinese Golden Week at the start of May - which South East Asian tourist boards hope will kickstart the return of Chinese travellers in large numbers?

And, we discuss a new report by McKinsey, Accor and Trip.com addressing the sustainable motivations of Chinese tourists, and we look at how airlines and cruise lines are trying to control the narrative around sustainable aviation and cruise fuel.