Ep 234: South East Asia's Top 10 Travel & Tourism Stories of 2024: An Eventful 12 Months in Review

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6 Dec 2024 • 36m01s

Visa-Free Travel Between South East Asia & China. Tourism Taxes. The Politics of Taylornomics. ASEAN’s Most Expansive High-Speed Rail System. Singapore Vision 2040. And, The Quest For Post-Covid Recovery Continues.

It’s time for our annual 2024 review. As we complete the 2nd full calendar year of travel and tourism in SEA since the pandemic – it’s been a highly eventful 12 months. This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the Top 10 travel and tourism talking points in South East Asia in 2024 - and their implications for 2025… and beyond. Amid discussions about tourism politics and economics, national branding and soft power, demographics, technology and strategy development, we end the show with the region’s most positively uplifting societal story of the year. Hats off to… Thailand!

« Next Episode Ep 235: South East Asia's 15 Travel & Tourism Hot Topics to Watch in 2025 Previous Episode » Ep 233: A New Bali Airport, Laos Backpacker Perils & Chinese Aircraft Ready for Take-off: November 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 234: South East Asia's Top 10 Travel & Tourism Stories of 2024: An Eventful 12 Months in Review

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