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

About This Episode

6 Apr 2023 β€’ 33m50s

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.

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
6 Jun 2023 β€’ 32m57s

Ep 177: A New Era of Chinese & Global Travel Payments, with Dr Cherry Huang, Alipay+, Ant Group

Chinese tourists are returning to South East Asia in greater numbers. The recent May Labor Day holiday brought more passenger flights and travellers from cities across China into the region. But how will innovations in mobile payment technology over the last three years influence how Chinese and global travelers pay for products and services while overseas? And how should travel providers, retailers and merchants prepare for this new era? This week, Gary welcomes Dr Cherry Huang, General Manager of Alipay+ Offline Merchant Services, Ant Group, to discuss the Chinese travel recovery so far and emerging spending patterns.
Play
29 May 2023 β€’ 32m03s

Ep 176: The Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in May 2023

May has been another hectic month as the travel recovery in South East Asia gathers momentum. It kicked off with China’s May Golden Week, which delivered a huge domestic tourism boost, while Chinese outbound holidaymakers travelled around the region in greater numbers. This could presage an uplift in Chinese outbound tourism widely anticipated in the second half of 2023. This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the Golden Week among a list of 10 key talking points from across South East Asia and beyond.