Ep 220: Bangkok-Vientiane by Train, KL-Nairobi by Plane & Gastronomy Tourism in Cebu: June 2024 in Review

About This Episode

4 Jul 2024 • 30m12s

So, we’ve passed a significant threshold. The first half of 2024 is completed – and an unseemly scramble will now occur to try and match – or get very close to – 2019 travel metrics across the region. In this context of competition, it’s time to round up the top 8 travel talking points from June – and what an action-packed month it proved to be.

This week, Gary and Hannah travel around ASEAN, with stopovers in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar, plus China and – better believe it – Kenya. En route, we discuss a new round of visa easing in several countries, the first Gastronomy Tourism Forum for Asia Pacific and a boom in film and TV productions in Thailand.

Plus, what’s happening with Malaysia’s much discussed MM2H visa? And will Boracay succeed in attracting more Muslim tourists? Plus, we discuss the highly-anticipated launch of a Bangkok-Vientiane train service, and Air Asia X takes off from KL to Nairobi.

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
14 Aug 2026 • 27m26s

Ep 315: Australia Zones-in on ASEAN Tourists, Vietnam Loads Up WeChat & Brunei Wants to Join the "1 Million Tourists Club"

“With two-thirds of 2026 almost complete, tourism strategies, plans and developments are loaded with extra meaning. 2027 is looming up ahead… This week, Gary and Hannah journey across South East Asia and to Australia to ask and answer this week’s top tourism questions. We begin Down Under where Australia’s new 10-year tourism roadmap is simply world class. We discuss why. Next to Brunei, which is rolling out various tourism initiatives as it targets 1 million arrivals in 2027.
Play
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?