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
5 May 2025 • 32m10s

Ep 252: From 40,000 to 152 Billion: South East Asia's Top 8 Travel & Tourism Statistical Talking Points

South East Asia comprises 10 diverse nations and nearly 700 million people spread across a vast landmass. Consequently, the numbers are often large, impactful and scaleable - and travel and tourism are no exceptions. This week, Gary and Hannah select the Top 8 statistical talking points from across the region. These cover inbound and outbound travel, ASEAN vs APAC airline seat capacity, the Hajj pilgrimage from Indonesia, human capital development in Vietnam – and electrified living everywhere.
Play
27 Apr 2025 • 33m31s

Ep 251: Mixed Travel & Tourism Vibes Across South East Asia: April 2025 in Review

April began with the announcement of US “reciprocal tariffs”, which ranged from 10% to 49% on exports from South East Asian nations. This has created toxic uncertainty across all industries in the region, notably business travel. But before the tariff turmoil, Q1 had delivered mixed results for travel and tourism, with the Eid al-Fitr holiday numbers particularly weak in Malaysia and Indonesia. Was this the result of the Lunar New Year and Eid public holidays being in the same quarter, or are we at the start of a cyclical travel slowdown in ASEAN?