Ep 180: SuperApps Scale Up to Sell More South East Asian Travel, with Brett Henry, MG Group

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27 Jun 2023 • 37m29s

What is a SuperApp, and why should the travel industry care about them?

There are numerous reasons to care, as Gary and Hannah discuss this week with Jakarta-based Brett Henry, President & Director of MG Group. Brett guides us through a research-based definition of SuperApp characteristics, and explains the opportunities and challenges they provide for brands and travellers.

En route, we discuss a bunch of SuperApps in ASEAN, including GoTo, Grab, WeChat, Meituan and Shopee. We also touch on AirAsia’s SuperApp progress and ask “Is TikTok the next SuperApp in South East Asia?” (Spoiler alert: Absolutely). Plus, we discuss the hyper-localisation in each market to meet changing consumer needs, the region’s complex e-payments landscape and the economics of distributing travel through SuperApps.

And, where do home-grown SuperApps go in future? Will they develop their own travel inventories and further monetise their tourism presence? And is there an accelerating urgency for travel sellers to become engaged participants in SupeApp platforms?

« Next Episode Ep 181: The Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in the First Half of 2023 Previous Episode » Ep 179: The Shifting Outlook for Airports in South East Asia, with Shantanu Gangakhedkar, Frost & Sullivan

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Ep 180: SuperApps Scale Up to Sell More South East Asian Travel, with Brett Henry, MG Group

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 276: Visa-easing Tricks, Tariff Turmoil, Vietnam's Breakout Year & What Happened to the ASEAN Tourism Visa?: 2025 in Review

Ep 275: Indonesia's Biometric Airport Corridor, Hotel Taxes in Malaysia & What Happens Next Between China & Japan?: November 2025 in Review

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman