Ep 271: Chinese Holidaymakers Jet Off, Multiple Muslim Tourism Initiatives & Fiscal Relief for Travel Workers: September + Golden Week in Review

Listen to this episode

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

View All Episodes

About This Episode

10 Oct 2025 • 34m24s

After three weeks in Japan, Singapore and Italy, Gary and Hannah are back in KL to recap the top travel talking points from September and early October. China’s Mid-Autumn Golden Week has just wrapped up, so we assess the current state of play in a diversifying Chinese outbound market.

Elsewhere, we discuss a raft of new Muslim-friendly tourism initiatives being introduced across South East Asia, note a shift towards waterborne transport innovation and crunch the numbers of a tax relief scheme for travel industry workers in Indonesia.

Plus, Thailand’s THB300 Tourism Tax is being resuscitated (again), and the nation’s tourism authority is turning to the diplomatic community as travel influencers. Plus, we delve deeper into AirAsia’s potential purchase of COMAC planes, and take a quick layover in Brunei to reflect on the region’s smallest visitor economy.

« Next Episode Ep 272: Scam Centre Tourism Impacts, SAF Mandates, Q4 Travel Promotions & Timor Leste Joins ASEAN: October 2025 in Review Previous Episode » Ep 270: From Japan to South East Asia to South America: Confronting the Cumulative Challenges of Tourism, with Joao Romao

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

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?

Play

30 Jul 2026 • 26m09s

Ep 313: Trip.com's Record Anti-Trust Fine, Singapore Airlines' Topsy-Turvy Financials & AI vs Tour Guides

“What a turbulent seven months 2026 has delivered so far.” Gary and Hannah examine recent travel and tourism developments across Southeast Asia, China, and India. Topics include China’s multi-billion RMB fine against Trip.com for alleged monopolistic practices, Malaysia’s unexpected F1 Grand Prix tourism impact, Singapore Airlines’ record revenue offset by substantial fuel cost increases, Cambodia Airlines’ aircraft order, Thai AirAsia’s domestic route suspensions, Singapore’s concert tourism season, AI’s effects on tour guiding, and a humorous story about a Philippines jail stay request.

Ep 271: Chinese Holidaymakers Jet Off, Multiple Muslim Tourism Initiatives & Fiscal Relief for Travel Workers: September + Golden Week in Review

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

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

Ep 313: Trip.com's Record Anti-Trust Fine, Singapore Airlines' Topsy-Turvy Financials & AI vs Tour Guides

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman