Ep 196: The Outlook for Travel & Tourism in Vietnam, with Mike Tatarski, Vietnam Weekly

About This Episode

18 Jan 2024 • 34m15s

Boosted by a population surpassing 100 million, Vietnam counts one of the region’s fastest growing travel and aviation markets. To assess the outlook for tourism in 2024, Gary and Hannah welcome back Ho Chi Minh City-based Mike Tatarski, founder of the Vietnam Weekly newsletter.

We begin by recapping the 2023 recovery for inbound, outbound and domestic travel, and dissect the top visitor markets. We discuss the challenges for the air market, particularly with high prices irking domestic passengers and the financial struggles of Bamboo Airways. Transport infrastructure remains a hot topic.

We assess the progress of new airport developments in Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces, and the latest status of the much-hyped North-South high-speed railway.

Plus, we talk overdevelopment in Phu Quoc, environmental management in Halong Bay, and why Japan is such a popular destination for Vietnamese tourists.

Resources

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
11 May 2026 • 19m55s

Ep 303: How Concerned Should We Be About Hantavirus?, ASEAN's Shared Fuel Reserve & AirAsia Floats a Hotel Boat

“There’s a significant amount of downplaying the risk level to the public, but those striking disembarkation scenes with hazmat suits and water showers on the MV Hondius cruise ship tell us how seriously the WHO is taking this outbreak.” Zoonotic viruses are back in the headlines six-and-a-half-years after Covid was identified in China. So too are terms like “Contact Tracing,” “Mask Wearing” and “Breaking the Chains of Transmission”. Gary and Hannah kickstart the week by taking a closer look at the unresolved questions and issues around the Hantavirus outbreak.
Play
4 May 2026 • 18m00s

Ep 302: Thailand's Newest Tourism Tax, 2 ASEAN Airlines in Global Flight Cuts Top 10 & Baby Shark in Singapore: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Why is Thailand considering a second tourism tax? Could the Philippines rescind its decision to scrap an outbound air travel fee? Which ASEAN airlines are cutting the most flights from May-July? And is India’s outbound growth story hitting an energy-crunch roadblock? Those are four of the key questions Gary and Hannah ask and answer on our Start the Week show. To kickstart the May holiday week, we head to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar via India and South Korea to tackle the 6 top regional talking points.