Ep 237: South East Asia's Top 8 Pre-Lunar New Year Travel & Tourism Talking Points: January 2025 in Review

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24 Jan 2025 • 34m07s

The Lunar New Year travel period has begun! Chinese tourists are staggering their trips to South East Asia to avoid the Golden Week travel rush…

So, following this trend, we’ve expedited our monthly round-up. This week, Gary and Hannah assess the Top 8 talking points from a very hectic January 2025 – perhaps even more frenetic than usual given the fairly early occurrence of the LNY. This month’s top takeaways take us to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar… and more.

Along the way, we discuss the Thai Prime Minister’s AI video to assure Chinese tourists about safety, Bali buries its hotel development moratorium, the Visit 2026 campaign experiences hiccups in Malaysia, and there’s an unexpected move in Laos as it revokes visa waivers. Plus, we touch on an intriguing budget win by the Secretary of Tourism in the Philippines, and we celebrate the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in Thailand.

« Next Episode Ep 238: Using the 5Fs, White Lotus, Lalisa & Soft Power to Reposition Thai Tourism, with Chattan Kunjara, Tourism Authority of Thailand Previous Episode » Ep 236: South East Asia's Top 8 Travel Mega-Projects in 2025, with James Clark, Future South East Asia

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26 Jan 2026 • 15m57s

Ep 282: Nipah Virus Alert, a New Tourism Tax in Indonesia & a Blackpink AI Controversy in Thailand: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Welcome to the third edition of our Start The Week show; a fast-paced ride through the hottest 5 travel topics in South East Asia and beyond. This week, Gary and Hannah take a sharp intake of breath as Thailand raises an alert for the deadly Nipah Virus. We also discuss 13 intriguing new city pairs for Changi Airport (with China a key focus), and a new tourism tax in Raja Ampat.

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19 Jan 2026 • 16m24s

Ep 281: Trip.com's Antitrust Troubles, Cambodia & Philippines Go Visa-Free for Chinese Tourists & Singapore's Big BTS Win: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Welcome to the second edition of our new Start The Week show - a fast-paced summary of the hottest 5 travel topics in South East Asia and beyond. This week’s show has a strong Chinese influence – a theme we expect to intensify through 2026. Gary and Hannah summarise the outlook for Trip.com’s South East Asia expansion as it faces an antitrust investigation in China. In a week of tragic accidents in Thailand and Indonesia, high-speed rail construction and air passenger safety are in the spotlight.

Ep 237: South East Asia's Top 8 Pre-Lunar New Year Travel & Tourism Talking Points: January 2025 in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 282: Nipah Virus Alert, a New Tourism Tax in Indonesia & a Blackpink AI Controversy in Thailand: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Ep 281: Trip.com's Antitrust Troubles, Cambodia & Philippines Go Visa-Free for Chinese Tourists & Singapore's Big BTS Win: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman