Ep 189: The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in September 2023

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3 Oct 2023 • 32m12s

3, 23, 150,000, 17.9 million, 34 million & 80%. Numbers and statistics carry extra weight in South East Asia as we enter the fourth quarter, which is peak travel season in many countries and arrivals counting gets highly competitive.

So what do those numbers relate to? This week, Gary and Hannah analyse the 8 top talking points from September - and the meaning of each figure is revealed during the show.

The monthly round up takes us from Singapore to the Philippines via Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia. En route, we discuss proposed new airports, an upbeat destination marketing video, the timeline for a new tourism tax and a flag carrier’s catering woes.

Plus, we discuss movies in China that have caused fears about scams and fraud in South East Asia and new inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

« Next Episode Ep 190: AI, OTAs, Payments & Ancillary Revenues for Independent Hotels, with Vikram Malhi, Zuzu Hospitality Previous Episode » Ep 188: Reflections on the Hotel Sector Recovery in South East Asia in 2023, with Jesper Palmqvist, STR

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Ep 324: Malaysia's Air Passenger Slump, Sydney Joins the 'Two-Airports Club' & Singapore Plans Christmas with BTS

As we head into the final two months of a turbulent 2026, there’s a multitude of travel talking points to decipher across ASEAN and beyond. We start with Australia’s first major new airport for 50 years, which catapults Sydney into the club of cities with two international airports. We move onto Malaysia, which reported a 12% decrease in airport passengers in September, including a worrying 22% decline in domestic air travel.

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16 Oct 2026 • 26m01s

Ep 323: Singapore's Tourism Spending Slump, Scam Centres in Luxury Hotels & Resorts & Are Australians Starting to Adopt Vietjet?

As we march through Q4, upbeat news is in short supply across the region’s travel industry. This week’s round-up of South East Asia’s top talking points takes Gary and Hannah to Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia. With markets abuzz about earnings season, Singapore reports downbeat spending and arrivals numbers, and the best-case scenario for the Philippines in 2026 is flat versus 2025. Meanwhile, regional governments issue travel safety warnings for Saudi Arabia and airlines cancel flights after the deadly attack on Riyadh airport.

Ep 189: The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in September 2023

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 324: Malaysia's Air Passenger Slump, Sydney Joins the 'Two-Airports Club' & Singapore Plans Christmas with BTS

Ep 323: Singapore's Tourism Spending Slump, Scam Centres in Luxury Hotels & Resorts & Are Australians Starting to Adopt Vietjet?

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman