Ep 212: 'Everyone Wants to Go to Japan': The Best Bits From The South East Asia Travel Show in April 2024

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1 May 2024 • 16m14s

From “Everyone wants to go to Japan” to “Thailand’s on the verge of over-tourism” to “Three towers with a surf board on top”. Welcome to our new monthly mini-roundup of the key moments from recent podcast discussions and interviews.

During April, Philip See, Group Chief Sustainability Officer & CEO of Loyalty and Travel Solutions of the Malaysia Aviation Group, discusses the sustainable aviation challenges and opportunities in South East Asia. Plus, we head to Japan to break down the astonishing surge of inbound travel from South East Asia to one of Asia Pacific’s hottest destinations.

We tackle the re-emergence (or otherwise) of Thailand’s THB300 tourism tax, and Hannah consults Google Maps to locate the under-development fourth tower of Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands resort. All this and much more in our April rewind.

« Next Episode Ep 213: Visa Waivers, Extreme Weather, AI Tools & ‘All-Gender Weddings’: Revisiting the 2024 Travel Wishlist Previous Episode » Ep 211: The Return of Over-tourism, Chinese Tourists & Thailand’s Tourism Tax: April 2024 in Review

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20 Apr 2026 • 21m12s

Ep 299: Vietnam's Travel Transformation Accelerates, Chocolate Hills Under Threat in the Philippines & What is the Value of Heritage in Singapore?: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

On this week’s kickstarter show, Gary and Hannah explore travel and tourism issues across Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Key topics include Vietnam’s reshaping of its travel landscape through MOUs signed by President To Lam with China for railway development and aircraft procurement, Malaysia’s ongoing KLIA baggage system issues, and Singapore Airlines’ resilience amid Q1 challenges. The episode also covers environmental threats to Indonesia’s Komodo National Park and the Philippines’ Chocolate Hills, before examining heritage preservation in Singapore’s travel industry amid rising costs, demographic shifts, and waning younger generation interest in maintaining traditional immigrant-founded businesses.

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13 Apr 2026 • 21m50s

Ep 298: The Philippines' Gloomy Tourism Year Gets Worse, Travel Insurance Mandate in Thailand & Grab's AI Travel Play: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

On this week’s kickstarter show, Gary and Hannah explore travel and tourism issues across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Key topics include Malaysia potentially extending its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign into 2027 amid Middle East economic impacts, declining arrivals in Boracay worsening the Philippines’ tourism prospects, and Thailand considering mandatory travel insurance for visitors. The episode also covers Grab’s expansion into AI-powered travel services focusing on hotel bookings, local dining, and cross-border e-payments, along with Garuda Indonesia’s substantial 2025 financial losses and new Tourism Ministers appointed in Thailand and the Philippines.

Ep 212: 'Everyone Wants to Go to Japan': The Best Bits From The South East Asia Travel Show in April 2024

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 299: Vietnam's Travel Transformation Accelerates, Chocolate Hills Under Threat in the Philippines & What is the Value of Heritage in Singapore?: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Ep 298: The Philippines' Gloomy Tourism Year Gets Worse, Travel Insurance Mandate in Thailand & Grab's AI Travel Play: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman