Ep 287: Asia's Most Connected Country by 2030, Vietnam's Airlines Go Plane Shopping & Thailand's Petrol Station Hotels: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

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23 Feb 2026 • 20m17s

From hotels on petrol (gas) station forecourts in Thailand to Singapore’s ingenious tourism match-making scheme… On our fast-paced Start The Week show, Gary and Hannah stop over in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines and India in search of the answers to travel’s big questions. We begin by discussing ASEAN representation on the Gaza Board of Peace, aircraft orders tied to tariff negotiations and whether the Indonesia-US trade deals still stands. Plus, can Malaysia become “Asia Pacific’s most connected nation” by 2030? Why is Farm Tourism sowing collaborative seeds in the Philippines? And Why is Vietnam emerging as a hot vegetarian destination for Indian tourists? Plus, why are we talking about Aunties Not Algorithms? And will more South East Asian countries convert petrol (gas) stations into hotels as the region transitions to EVs?

« Next Episode Ep 288: ASEAN's Air Travel Outlook: Where are the Hotspots & Slow-Motion Markets?: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show Previous Episode » Ep 286: Lunar New Year Segues into Ramadan, Thailand's Koh Samui Bridge & ASEAN Airlines Take Off for Europe: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

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16 Oct 2026 • 26m01s

Ep 323: Singapore's Tourism Spending Slump, Scam Centres in Luxury Hotels & Resorts & Are Australians Starting to Adopt Vietjet?

As we march through Q4, upbeat news is in short supply across the region’s travel industry. This week’s round-up of South East Asia’s top talking points takes Gary and Hannah to Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia. With markets abuzz about earnings season, Singapore reports downbeat spending and arrivals numbers, and the best-case scenario for the Philippines in 2026 is flat versus 2025. Meanwhile, regional governments issue travel safety warnings for Saudi Arabia and airlines cancel flights after the deadly attack on Riyadh airport.

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9 Oct 2026 • 23m31s

Ep 322: Phu Quoc Fuels Vietnam's Tourism Rocket Ship, Thailand Moves Closer to Taxing Tourists & Russia's Rising Influence on South East Asian Tourism Planning

“Vietnam is riding a tourism rocket ship, and is on a totally different trajectory to the rest of South East Asia.” As we accelerate through October, this was another week packed with hot travel and tourism topics to discuss. To kickstart the weekend, Gary and Hannah journey across ASEAN and beyond with stopovers in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, Russia and India. We assess Phu Quoc’s dramatic tourism surge to already surpass its 2026 visitor target.

Ep 287: Asia's Most Connected Country by 2030, Vietnam's Airlines Go Plane Shopping & Thailand's Petrol Station Hotels: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 323: Singapore's Tourism Spending Slump, Scam Centres in Luxury Hotels & Resorts & Are Australians Starting to Adopt Vietjet?

Ep 322: Phu Quoc Fuels Vietnam's Tourism Rocket Ship, Thailand Moves Closer to Taxing Tourists & Russia's Rising Influence on South East Asian Tourism Planning

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman