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
5 May 2025 β€’ 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 β€’ 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?