Ep 204: The Top 8 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in Q1 2024

About This Episode

15 Mar 2024 β€’ 31m13s

From Changi’s statistical milestone to a festive travel renaissance and Taylor Diplomacy to Thailand’s ‘Tourism Salesman’. As the end of Q1 2024 draws near, we move towards another major milestone. Nearly two years ago, on 1 April 2022, South East Asia began to fully reopen after the dark days of the pandemic.

So, how has the first quarter of 2024 panned out, and what were the key takeaways? This week, Gary and Hannah assess the Top 8 travel and tourism talking points from throughout the region in the first three months of 2024. En route, we discuss the debut of China’s C919 aircraft in ASEAN, the Thai PM’s tourism pitch at ITB Berlin and higher passenger service charges in Malaysia.

Plus, we look at AirAsia’s plan to launch new airlines in Singapore and Vietnam and its parent company’s goal of listing on the Nasdaq later this year. And we garnish each talking point with the region’s latest travel statistics.

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
26 Jun 2025 β€’ 40m18s

Ep 259: South East Asia's Top 10 Talking Points of 2025 So Far: Travel & Tourism in a New Era of Global Uncertainty

It’s been a pretty unsettling first half of 2025 on a geopolitical level, and the regional outcomes are creeping but still uncertain. Against this backdrop, South East Asian airports have remained busy - but structural and cyclical challenges for travel economies are emerging. So, what do the events of January-June tell us about the rest of 2025 and into 2026? This week, Gary and Hannah assess the 10 top takeaways in the year so far.
Play
20 Jun 2025 β€’ 17m26s

Ep 258: Is an ASEAN Tourism Visa South East Asia's Most Pressing Travel Concern?

“Despite referencing the word ‘tourism’ 26 times in its new Vision 2045 plan, ASEAN remains uncomfortable discussing a regional tourism visa. This largely reflects its institutional limitations rather than a lack of ambition.” Over recent months, significant hype has surrounded the possibility of the 10 countries (soon 11) of South East Asia launching a shared visa for tourists. The context is that each country in the region wants to expand tourism to support economic development.