Ep 215: 'Clear Air Turbulence', Thailand's Visa Bonanza, Singapore's Vision 2040 & Vietnam Shades 2019: May 2024 in Review

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31 May 2024 • 28m54s

We’re steaming through 2024, with 5 months already completed, and attracting tourists is becoming intensely competitive. This week, Gary and Hannah review South East Asia’s top 8 travel and tourism stories during May.

This month’s round-up takes us to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, China and India. En route we discuss “sudden, extreme turbulence” on a Singapore Airlines flight, Vietnam surpasses 2019 visitor arrivals so far in 2024, a pending takeover of Malaysia Airports and a raft of new visa entry categories rolled out in Thailand.

Plus, which countries are chasing pole position to host a new F1 Grand Prix in the region? And which two ASEAN attractions were listed among the world’s top 100 “most boring” tourism sites?

« Next Episode Ep 216: 'From Battambang to Taking the Stage in New York, Sydney & Montreal': The Best Bits From The South East Asia Travel Show in May 2024 Previous Episode » Ep 214: Running Away to the Circus, and Cambodia's Tourism Recovery, with Craig Dodge, Phare

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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.

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10 Apr 2026 • 14m33s

Ep 297: How Have 6 Weeks of War Changed ASEAN's Travel Economies?: Start the Weekend with The South East Asia Travel Show

“Could South East Asia’s travel landscape look different in 12-18 months time?” The episode explores how Middle East conflict affects the region’s travel sector. Key topics include: The region’s dependence on imported oil, LNG, jet fuel, petrochemicals, and fertilizers Rising fuel costs and electricity supply challenges Government energy-conservation measures and work-from-home policies Food price inflation impacts Jet fuel scarcity effects on travel and tourism operations Hosts Gary and Hannah examine broader war-related economic consequences across Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific, comparing these disruptions to the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel impacts and discussing potential long-term shifts in the industry.

Ep 215: 'Clear Air Turbulence', Thailand's Visa Bonanza, Singapore's Vision 2040 & Vietnam Shades 2019: May 2024 in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

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

Ep 297: How Have 6 Weeks of War Changed ASEAN's Travel Economies?: Start the Weekend with The South East Asia Travel Show

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman