Ep 244: Taking South East Asia's 'Less Bad Travel' Pulse, with Stuart McDonald, Travelfish

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21 Mar 2025 • 43m14s

“The term ‘sustainable tourism’ has been bankrupted. It’s meaningless now”. None of the environmental and social issues confronting tourism are new, but how do we address them more realistically? How can travellers tread more lightly and be less impactful on the places and communities they visit? What is “Less Bad Travel”? How does it differ from staple travel industry terms, such as responsible tourism?

This week, Hannah is joined by Bali-based Stuart McDonald, founder of Travelfish and a highly experienced South East Asia travel editor, writer and trip advisor, to navigate the way forward for low-impact travel. Don’t expect standard jargon or easy rhetoric. Stuart challenges the tropes we often hear, and is especially scathing about sustainable tourism certifications.

Plus, we discuss the impact of AI on hotel employment, coastal development in Vietnam, The White Lotus in Thailand and responsible diving. And, Stuart sets out his plans for an epic 64-day overland trip from Jakarta to Leeds to collect his MSc in Responsible Tourism Management.

« Next Episode Ep 245: Russian Tourists, Chinese Planes & Singapore's Forensic Concert Tourism Planning: March 2025 in Review Previous Episode » Ep 243: 12 Things We Often Forget About the Covid Travel Era in South East Asia: Five Years of the Pandemic in Review

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Ep 244: Taking South East Asia's 'Less Bad Travel' Pulse, with Stuart McDonald, Travelfish

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

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

Ep 296: LCC Strategy Shifts, Türkiye & Taiwan in the Spotlight & Vietnam Targets 50 Million Visitors: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman