Ep 80: June in Review: Delta Variant Derails Tourism Planning

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2 Jul 2021 • 35m00s

June 2021 proved to be a another difficult month for governments, citizens, companies and travel policy planners. The fast-spreading Delta variant caused previously COVID-safe countries to take stricter precautions, and worsened the situation in nations still battling to contain the coronavirus. Governmental travails impact every aspect of daily life, work and leisure throughout the region.

On the first edition of a new monthly review show, Gary and Hannah look back on 6 headline travel talking points across South East Asia, and beyond. Of course, the Phuket Sandbox and the postponement of Bali’s reopening to inbound travellers feature prominently.

We also discuss proposed moves to reboot educational travel, compare the current travel situations in Asia, North America and Europe, and analyse a new US venture by one of South East Asia’s high-profile tourism players.

And which travel operators applied before the deadline for one of Malaysia’s soon-to-be-issued Digital Banking licences?

« Next Episode Ep 81: The Current State of Airlines in ASEAN, with Brendan Sobie Previous Episode » Ep 79: South Korea Emerges As Asia's Most Exciting Travel Market, with Dr Jaeyeon Choe

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September is historically a slow month for travel news in South East Asia. With the October Golden Week imminent, followed by the peak November-February tourism season, it’s usually a period to reflect and prepare. Not this year. Political upheaval and economic instability in ASEAN’s two largest economies, Indonesia and Thailand, are front-page news. Events in both nations have the potential to influence the end-of-year travel season, not least in Thailand where an enforced national election is likely.

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Ep 267: Pre-Golden Week Visa-Easing Tricks, Rising Costs of the Thai-Cambodia War & Senior Tour Guides vs Robots: August 2025 in Review

Vietnam and South Korea have “visa-easing tricks up their sleeves” as China’s October Golden Week nears. And, with two-thirds of 2025 completed, attentions are turning to the peak end-of-year travel season across Asia. That’s the backdrop for a frenetic month of travel activity region-wide in August. For our regular monthly round-up, Gary and Hannah travel around ASEAN with stopovers in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, plus China and South Korea.

Ep 80: June in Review: Delta Variant Derails Tourism Planning

About This Episode

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Ep 268: Techo Airport Takes Off, Thai Baht Volatility & Turmoil in Indonesia: This Week in Review

Ep 267: Pre-Golden Week Visa-Easing Tricks, Rising Costs of the Thai-Cambodia War & Senior Tour Guides vs Robots: August 2025 in Review

Hannah Pearson

Gary Bowerman