Ep 66: Will Singapore Lead South East Asia's Travel Revival?

About This Episode

15 Apr 2021 β€’ 35m00s

From 2010 to 2019, Singapore’s inbound arrivals grew significantly, from 11.6 million to 19.1 million. This expansion was boosted by the opening of two integrated resorts and smart marketing strategies in China and India. Throughout the 2010s, this small city state punched above its weight by thinking ahead and investing big. Singaporeans themselves are inveterate travellers, who are evidently eager to take flight again.

This week, Gary and Hannah assess what happens next as Singapore makes various moves to reopen its travel economy - with a particular focus on MICE and business events travel. Which markets might Singapore focus on the bring back leisure and business travellers, will the IATA Air Travel pass help the recovery and will the air travel bubble with Hong Kong succeed second time around? Plus, how has Singapore become the world’s largest cruise market during the pandemic, and what new attractions and amenities are planned?

Last, but not least, how many Singaporeans say they would rather take an overseas holiday than fall in love?

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
16 Oct 2026 β€’ 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.
Play
9 Oct 2026 β€’ 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.