Ep 211: The Return of Over-tourism, Chinese Tourists & Thailand’s Tourism Tax: April 2024 in Review

Listen to this episode

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google

Podbean

View All Episodes

About This Episode

25 Apr 2024 • 31m20s

“Whatever happened to ‘Quality Tourism’?” As we complete one-third of 2024, what were the top 8 travel talking points in April? Gary and Hannah journey across the region, with stops in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Dubai. We analyse the increase in Chinese arrivals to ASEAN & Asia Pacific in Q1, and preview the May Labour Day holiday.

We review travel volumes during the Songkran, Eid/Lebaran and Khmer New Year travel periods. Plus, a Thai tourism leader calls for a new visitor levy to battle over-tourism in primary destinations, while Malaysian budget hoteliers raise their rates. We assess the regional aviation impact of Dubai’s catastrophic flooding and the eruption of Mt Ruang in Indonesia.

Plus, Bali raises a Dengue Fever alert and Singapore hits 95% of its pre-pandemic monthly arrivals in March - partly thanks to a certain tortured pop poet.

« Next Episode Ep 212: 'Everyone Wants to Go to Japan': The Best Bits From The South East Asia Travel Show in April 2024 Previous Episode » Ep 210: The Top 8 Statistical Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

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.

Play

27 Apr 2026 • 15m31s

Ep 300: Thailand & Cambodia Pursue Peace, Myanmar Nears ASEAN Return & Embodied AI Tourism in Malaysia: Start the Week in The South East Asia - Part 1

Is a rapprochement between Thailand and Cambodia getting closer? Could Myanmar soon return to ASEAN? And how will embodied AI transform the tourism landscape in South East Asia? Those are three of the top questions Gary and Hannah ask and answer in Part 1 of our two-part Start the Week show. To kickstart the lead-up to the May holiday period, we head to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and China to tackle the talking points that matter.

Ep 211: The Return of Over-tourism, Chinese Tourists & Thailand’s Tourism Tax: April 2024 in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

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

Ep 300: Thailand & Cambodia Pursue Peace, Myanmar Nears ASEAN Return & Embodied AI Tourism in Malaysia: Start the Week in The South East Asia - Part 1

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman