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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5 Aug 2026 • 27m31s

Ep 314: As Intra-ASEAN Tourism Competition Intensifies, What Are South East Asia's Major New Battlegrounds?

2026 has been a mixed year for tourism across South East Asia, and all countries are preparing their future strategies. With arrivals growth slowing and competition to attract tourists intensifying, Wellness and Business Events are emerging as key battlegrounds. This week, Gary and Hannah analyse how some of the region’s key players, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, are setting out their strategic stalls - or are they simply chasing the same tourists with different labels and campaigns?

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30 Jul 2026 • 26m09s

Ep 313: Trip.com's Record Anti-Trust Fine, Singapore Airlines' Topsy-Turvy Financials & AI vs Tour Guides

“What a turbulent seven months 2026 has delivered so far.” Gary and Hannah examine recent travel and tourism developments across Southeast Asia, China, and India. Topics include China’s multi-billion RMB fine against Trip.com for alleged monopolistic practices, Malaysia’s unexpected F1 Grand Prix tourism impact, Singapore Airlines’ record revenue offset by substantial fuel cost increases, Cambodia Airlines’ aircraft order, Thai AirAsia’s domestic route suspensions, Singapore’s concert tourism season, AI’s effects on tour guiding, and a humorous story about a Philippines jail stay request.

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 314: As Intra-ASEAN Tourism Competition Intensifies, What Are South East Asia's Major New Battlegrounds?

Ep 313: Trip.com's Record Anti-Trust Fine, Singapore Airlines' Topsy-Turvy Financials & AI vs Tour Guides

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman