Ep 183: The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in July 2023

About This Episode

1 Aug 2023 • 32m32s

July, the seventh month of 2023, proved another busy period along South East Asia’s road to a travel and tourism recovery.

This week, Hannah and Gary chat through the Top 8 travel talking points in July. The journey unwinds from Thailand to Singapore, Bali to Kuala Lumpur, Japan to Cambodia and China to Saudi Arabia. We discuss the half-year arrivals in each country, the Top 10 airlines in the region and the three nations comprising almost two-thirds of South East Asia’s total airline capacity.

We look at the variance on the new Henley Passport Index, which revealed a large spectrum from Singapore (ranked #1 worldwide) and Myanmar (#90). Plus, what’s the travel outlook for China’s October Golden Week? Should all countries develop a ‘Saudi Arabia Strategy’ for inbound and outbound travel? And what factors are shaping Thailand’s ‘Tourism Deficit’ with Japan?

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