The Friday Rewind 3: COVID-19 Causes ASEAN Spats, While Malaysia & Myanmar Seek Travel Cut-Through

About This Episode

14 Aug 2020 • 15m28s

In episode 3 of The Friday Rewind, Gary and Hannah take a 15-minute zoom through 5 major talking points in South East Asian travel from the past 7 days.

Today’s discussion points are:

  1. ‘The Land of COVID’ - Media, ministers and government spokespeople are lashing out at each other in South East Asia
  2. Zero Tourism Until 2021 in Thailand - Webinar comments by the Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand go viral around the world
  3. Green Zones to Nowhere for Malaysia - Tourism Minister says that travel bubbles are impossible to negotiate if countries refuse to open their borders
  4. Myanmar & Sri Lanka Prepare for Take Off - Discussions are underway to launch direct flights between Colombo and Yangon, that could also extend to India and Nepal
  5. Eco-Tourism Inspiration in Laos - Conservation efforts in the nation’s largest protected park offer new hope for sustainability in tourism

Resources

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/12/2034793/palace-claims-thai-papers-land-covid-jab-linked-competition-tourism

http://theindependent.sg/indonesia-minister-takes-a-swipe-at-other-countries-covid-19-response-including-the-us-and-singapore/

https://www.ttgasia.com/2020/08/07/tat-deputy-governor-dashes-hopes-of-2020-reopening-for-thailands-international-borders/

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/08/11/minister-not-enough-to-just-identify-covid-19-free-nations-if-they-have-yet/1892843

https://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lanka-myanmar-to-conduct-feasibility-study-to-establish-direct-air-connectivity/

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/2020/08/11/laos-ecotourism-motivates-villagers-to-conserve-wildlife

https://www.traveller.com.au/overtourism-and-covid19-lack-of-tourists-actually-harming-environment-in-many-cases-h1pvkb

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