Ep 95: 10 Tough Travel Learnings From the First Three-Quarters of 2021
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28 Sep 2021 • 37m21sAs South East Asia enters the 4th quarter of 2021, Gary and Hannah bash heads together to create a list of 10 top travel learnings from a year that – as yet – hasn’t really got going. Perhaps a rush of travel activity awaits around the corner… but 2021 has taught the travel industry some harsh lessons.
So on this week’s show, we discuss the following points:
- 2021 is shaping up to worse than 2020 for tourism businesses
- Governments being in control of travel is a disaster
- Any ASEAN cooperation is a pipe dream
- South East Asian tourism planners are directionless without Chinese tourists
- Vaccines have not been the save-all the tourism industry thought they would be
- Reopening may come down to 2 models: Thailand’s Phuket Sandbox or Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane
- Pent-up demand is probable, but not guaranteed
- Overlooking domestic markets is a long-term mistake
- Outbound travel is of little importance to governments and
- Media reporting of travel during the pandemic is clickbait driven.
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Ep 170: The Top 10 Travel & Tourism Talking Points in South East Asia in March 2023
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15 Mar 2023 • 9m20s
Ep 168: Mini Update - China Restores Inbound Tourism & Expands Outbound Travel
China began reopening to international travel on 8 January 2023, but the impact so far has been gradual. There are various reasons, including the Chinese government’s decision to phase the scaling up of outbound travel capacity.
From today, 15 March, outbound group package tours are permitted to 60 countries worldwide. Independent travellers are, of course, free to travel globally. Also from today, China will begin issuing tourist entry visas, and has reestablished visa-free access to Hainan Island and for cruise passengers docking in Shanghai.
