Ep 194: 2023 in Review: This Year’s Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia

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14 Dec 2023 • 36m26s

The first full calendar year of travel and tourism in South East Asia since the pandemic is almost complete. And what a dramatic 12 months it has been.

To take stock, Gary and Hannah have created a list of the Top 10 travel and tourism talking points in South East Asia and beyond in 2023. Our review of the year journeys from Indonesia to China, via Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

En route, we discuss the region’s first high-speed railway, the return of visa waivers and a ban on short-term rentals. We assess why three island destinations in the region are struggling to recover and the shifting travel payments landscape.

Plus, we tap into music tourism and a boost for hotel bookings by the Time Person of the Year, and Malaysia’s late-year statistical surprise.

« Next Episode Ep 195: The 2024 Travel & Tourism Wishlist for South East Asia Previous Episode » Ep 193: Reflections on a Hectic Year of Travel in South East Asia and Beyond, with Vincent Vichit-Vadakan

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Ep 194: 2023 in Review: This Year’s Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 257: Chinese Backpackers, Mountains Clad with Solar Panels, a Giant Lenin Statue & Delightful Almaty: An Epic Overland Journey from Bali to Britain, with Stuart McDonald

Ep 256: A 'Resort Airline', An OTA Law Suit, Time for Timor Leste & Blackpink Back in the Area: May 2025 in Review

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman