Ep 266: More Indonesian Airports, Thai Crypto Tourists & Vietnam's Proposed Superapp: This Week in Review

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22 Aug 2025 • 26m46s

Indonesia plans to expand its total of international airports by Presidential decree. Thailand fires the regional starting gun for crypto payments in tourism (when will other countries join the race?). Vietnam launches its own ‘Superapp’ to be rolled out over the next two years. It’s been a week of mega-announcements in South East Asia as concerns grow about slowing travel and tourism momentum and looming geo-economic disruptions.

Join Gary and Hannah as they travel through ASEAN to discuss the top travel talking points of the past seven days. En route, we look at why Bali’s governor says the island doesn’t need a casino, and why the Philippines’ Minister of Tourism has “nothing but a plastic bullet” to battle other countries for tourists.

And finally, why is the free flights giveaway in Thailand proving less popular than hoped for?

« Next Episode Ep 267: Pre-Golden Week Visa-Easing Tricks, Rising Costs of the Thai-Cambodia War & Senior Tour Guides vs Robots: August 2025 in Review Previous Episode » Ep 265: Rethinking Indonesia's Under-achieving Inbound Tourism Sector, with Nur Wulan T

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Ep 266: More Indonesian Airports, Thai Crypto Tourists & Vietnam's Proposed Superapp: This Week in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 275: Indonesia's Biometric Airport Corridor, Hotel Taxes in Malaysia & What Happens Next Between China & Japan?: November 2025 in Review

Ep 274: Will Indonesia Build a High-Speed Railway to Bali, What is the 'Cosmic Turtle' & When Will Long Thanh Airport Open?: South East Asia's Top Travel Mega-Projects in 2025 in Review

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman