Ep 326: Vietnam Incentivises Tourism Growth, Poland Emerges as a Trending ASEAN Source Market & Indonesia Plays Tourism Monopoly

There are just 48 days left in 2026, and South East Asia’s tourism players are racing to squeeze as much value as possible before year ends. This week, Gary and Hannah travel from Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand to Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, plus a brief trip to Poland. We assess Singapore Airlines’ interim results, which deliver rising passenger revenue paired with rising fuel costs. Its outlook statement echoes pretty much everything we’ve been saying for the past 9 months. Next to the Amadeus airline data breach, which counts two more ASEAN carriers plus two from Scandinavia whose passengers’ personal information have been compromised. We check in on the agenda issues of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Manila, APEC Summit in Shenzhen and Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh. Plus, Vietnam’s latest incentive measures to fast-track tourism growth, a fascinating discussion about the pros and cons of expanding Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and Mynt’s landmark IPO in the Philippines and the collab between its GCASH e-wallet and the Department of Tourism. We finish in Jakarta, which joins a select list of Asian cities to bank their IP tourism dollars with a tailored version of the iconic Monopoly board game.

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