Ep 224: EV Tours, Cross-Border Trains & New Hotels Popping Up: The Shifting Tourism Landscape in Laos, with Jason Rolan & Benny Kong

About This Episode

8 Aug 2024 β€’ 31m01s

Land-locked Laos is a beautiful part of South East Asia, where tourism is coming back to life despite tough economic times. Overland travel is a dynamic driver, following the launch in 2023 of the cross-border China-Laos railway, and - last month - a new train link between Bangkok and Vientiane.

To navigate Laos’s changing travel landscape, Gary is joined by Jason Rolan, Tourism Specialist and Senior Partner at RDK Group, and Benny Kong, Co-Founder of Discover Laos Today. In a broad-ranging chat, we address the first-half year visitor arrivals to Laos, and its top inbound markets - and the latest visa entry measures designed to attract more visitors from selected markets. We also discuss changing visitor perceptions, booming hotel investment and infrastructure development, notable shifts in seasonality and labour supply challenges in the hospitality sector.

Plus, Benny talks about the popular response to the EV tours and self-drive EV car rentals his company has introduced in three parts of the country - including a vintage-style guided EV trip around Luang Prabang, which is building a viral buzz on social media.

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
17 Apr 2025 β€’ 45m08s

Ep 249: Destinations on Screen: The Top 8 TV + Movie Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia & Asia Pacific

What connects CNN, Coldplay, Bollywood, The White Lotus, Bluey, Minecraft and K-dramas? All are linked to the burgeoning trend of representing tourism destinations in TV series, movies, videos, documentaries and computer games. This week, Gary and Hannah assess the top 8 TV and Movie Tourism talking points in ASEAN, Asia Pacific and beyond. The global journey takes us from Jakarta, Koh Samui and Singapore to Seoul, Jeju Island and Okinawa - and beyond to the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Play
11 Apr 2025 β€’ 27m39s

Ep 248: China, South East Asia & Asia Pacific Confront the Turmoil of Trump's Tariffs - Part 2

“ASEAN, being the fifth largest economy in the world, is deeply concerned over the recent introduction of unilateral tariffs by the US, including the tariffs announced on 2 April and subsequently the suspension on 9 April… [These] will impact economic security and stability, affect livelihoods of millions of people in the region, and hinder economic progress in ASEAN, particularly less developed economies.” It’s unusual for ASEAN to word its statements so strongly.