Ep 62: Participative Sports Tourism in Vietnam with David Lloyd

Listen to this episode

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google

Podbean

View All Episodes

About This Episode

18 Mar 2021 • 32m00s

Active travel was expanding fast in South East Asia before the pandemic, and expectations are that it will take off once again post-COVID. Cycling and trail running in spectacular landscapes are likely to lead the pack. This week, Gary and Hannah assess the growth in domestic and international sports tourism with David Lloyd, Director of Sports, Topas Travel, an adventure travel provider, and Co-Founder of Velo Vietnam, a cycling tours specialist.

After a decade of developing and managing mountain running and cycling events and trips across Vietnam, David provides fascinating insights about the upward trajectory of active sports in Asia. He also discusses issues of sustainability, giving back to local communities and supporting kids’ charities, as well as the future opportunities for high-quality sports tourism in Vietnam.

Resources

Topas Travel’s trail races: www.vietnamtrailseries.com

Topas Ecolodge: www.topasecolodge.com

Topas Travel: www.www.topastravel.vn

Topas River Lodge: www.topasriversidelodge.com

Velo Vietnam: www.velovietnam.cc

VMM Nan Cang: https://vietnamtrailseries.com/vmm-nam-cang

« Next Episode Ep 63: Travel Bubbles Are Back! Or Are They? Previous Episode » Ep 61: Tourism in Transformation: Tapping Into Post-COVID Consumer Aspirations & Expectations

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play

25 Jun 2026 • 22m48s

Ep 309: Vietnam's Great Airport Race, Cambodia Hedges its China Bets & Robotic Wellness Zen in Singapore

“Robotic lockers and ozone-based water filtration systems.” Gary and Hannah examine recent travel and tourism developments across ASEAN, featuring stops in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. Key topics include Brunei’s largest year-long tourism promotion planned for 2027 (previewed at Travel Meet Asia in Jakarta), mixed signals from airlines AirAsia and AirBornie regarding fares, Vietnam’s military involvement in ensuring Long Thanh International Airport opens before year’s end, Cambodia’s four-month visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, and Singapore’s new wellness megaproject that has begun construction.

Play

18 Jun 2026 • 37m08s

Ep 308: Live at the 2026 Travel + Leisure Luxury Summit Asia in Bangkok

This week’s special edition of the show was recorded live in front of a packed ballroom audience at the 2026 Travel + Leisure Luxury Summit Asia, at the Dusit Thani hotel in Bangkok. Gary and Hannah took to the stage for a three-part podcast. In part 1, we provide a short round-up of the travel and tourism year so far in South East Asia and beyond - and the outlook for the rest of 2026.