Ep 269: ASEAN & APAC Still Playing Air Travel Catch-up, Bali Floods Fallout & Koh Samui’s Mega-Bridge: This Week in Review

Listen to this episode

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

View All Episodes

About This Episode

19 Sep 2025 • 25m07s

As we speed towards the 4th quarter of 2025, some economic metrics in South East Asia are trending towards nervousness.

Air travel capacity is a primary case study, where the year-on-year data is mostly positive (look away now, Indonesia), but the ASEAN and APAC regions (overall) are still playing catching from 2019… all those pre-Covid years ago. Plus, on our weekly travel news roundup, Gary and Hannah journey across ASEAN to discuss the top talking points in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Timor Leste.

En route, we discuss the devastating flooding fallout in Bali, ‘brownouts’ in Boracay, Koh Samui’s controversial mega-bridge and the downbeat news that the Thai-Cambodia border “will not be reopened soon.” To salve the sense of gloom, we finish by keeping our fingers crossed that Timor Leste will be admitted as the 11th member of ASEAN - although no-one seems quite sure.

« Next Episode Ep 270: From Japan to South East Asia to South America: Confronting the Cumulative Challenges of Tourism, with Joao Romao Previous Episode » Ep 268: Techo Airport Takes Off, Thai Baht Volatility & Turmoil in Indonesia: This Week in Review

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play

14 Aug 2026 • 27m26s

Ep 315: Australia Zones-in on ASEAN Tourists, Vietnam Loads Up WeChat & Brunei Wants to Join the "1 Million Tourists Club"

“With two-thirds of 2026 almost complete, tourism strategies, plans and developments are loaded with extra meaning. 2027 is looming up ahead… This week, Gary and Hannah journey across South East Asia and to Australia to ask and answer this week’s top tourism questions. We begin Down Under where Australia’s new 10-year tourism roadmap is simply world class. We discuss why. Next to Brunei, which is rolling out various tourism initiatives as it targets 1 million arrivals in 2027.

Play

5 Aug 2026 • 27m31s

Ep 314: As Intra-ASEAN Tourism Competition Intensifies, What Are South East Asia's Major New Battlegrounds?

2026 has been a mixed year for tourism across South East Asia, and all countries are preparing their future strategies. With arrivals growth slowing and competition to attract tourists intensifying, Wellness and Business Events are emerging as key battlegrounds. This week, Gary and Hannah analyse how some of the region’s key players, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, are setting out their strategic stalls - or are they simply chasing the same tourists with different labels and campaigns?

Ep 269: ASEAN & APAC Still Playing Air Travel Catch-up, Bali Floods Fallout & Koh Samui’s Mega-Bridge: This Week in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 315: Australia Zones-in on ASEAN Tourists, Vietnam Loads Up WeChat & Brunei Wants to Join the "1 Million Tourists Club"

Ep 314: As Intra-ASEAN Tourism Competition Intensifies, What Are South East Asia's Major New Battlegrounds?

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman