The South East Asia Travel Show

"There's a significant amount of downplaying the risk level to the public, but those striking disembarkation scenes with hazmat suits and water showers on the MV Hondius cruise ship tell us how seriously the WHO is taking this outbreak." Zoonotic viruses are back in the headlines six-and-a-half-years after Covid was identified in China. So too are terms like "Contact Tracing," "Mask Wearing" and "Breaking the Chains of Transmission". Gary and Hannah kickstart the week by taking a closer look at the unresolved questions and issues around the Hantavirus outbreak. We move on to Manila, where the ASEAN leaders discussed - and kicked down the road - a proposal to create a shared South East Asian fuel reserve to mitigate future energy shocks. Meanwhile, Singapore launched its annual swathe of new tourism initiatives and investments and AirAsia played coy about its coded intentions in the hotel world. And finally, we head to Bangkok were Pokemon is taking its IP tourism play to mainland South East Asia. Are countries simply adopting each others' ideas? All this and much more...
NB: There have been 6 confirmed cases (plus 2 probable) and 3 confirmed deaths so far - correcting the mortality figure mentioned in the podcast.

Why is Thailand considering a second tourism tax? Could the Philippines rescind its decision to scrap an outbound air travel fee? Which ASEAN airlines are cutting the most flights from May-July? And is India's outbound growth story hitting an energy-crunch roadblock? Those are four of the key questions Gary and Hannah ask and answer on our Start the Week show. To kickstart the May holiday week, we head to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar via India and South Korea to tackle the 6 top regional talking points. En route, we also discuss the implications of Thai Air Asia's domestic flight cuts - and the downgrading of its two-hub model in Bangkok. Changi T3 undergoes a major makeover as a tech-enhanced testbed for T5, and Grab begins cross-border ride-hailing services. Plus, Malaysia makes a play for healthcare tourists from Myanmar, and - much to Hannah's delight - Baby Shark arrives in Singapore for new IP Tourism collabs.

How high can airfare surcharges go in the Philippines? Is a 30% drop in Chinese flights to Thailand a short-term adjustment, or a long-term shift? Is Indonesia serious about levying ships in the Malacca Strait? And will oil deals with Russia give it more influence in South East Asia? These are four central questions in Part 2 of our Start the Week show, as Gary and Hanna break down the radiating effects of two months of war in the Middle East for travel and tourism in ASEAN and beyond. The show looks at the fuel cost increases affecting not just airport development in Vietnam, but infrastructure build-outs region-wide. Meanwhile, air travel fuel surcharges in the Philippines have almost topped out at level 19 on its scale, or have they? Plus, will the stratospheric cost of subsidising petrol and diesel pump prices for consumers force an early general election in Malaysia? All this, and much, much more...
 
 

Is a rapprochement between Thailand and Cambodia getting closer? Could Myanmar soon return to ASEAN? And how will embodied AI transform the tourism landscape in South East Asia? Those are three of the top questions Gary and Hannah ask and answer in Part 1 of our two-part Start the Week show. To kickstart the lead-up to the May holiday period, we head to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and China to tackle the talking points that matter. The intervention of China could bring closer a resolution of the year-long border stand-off between Thailand and Cambodia that developed into military conflict. Geopolitical machinations are in motion in Myanmar as ASEAN prepares to welcome it back to the 11-nation fold. Meanwhile, Cambodia launches a new Green Season promotion to entice tourists during its shoulder season, tourism budget challenges multiply in the Philippines. Plus, robot dogs guide tourists at a Singapore wildlife reserve and a choreographed robot show heads to Malaysia. "The robots are coming!"

"The challenges around jet fuel and flight cuts are going to get worse in the region before they get better." As South East Asian countries face up to tough economic choices from the  Middle East war fallout, Gary and Hannah head to Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and China to tackle this week's big travel questions. We begin by discussing Vietnam's radical reshaping of its travel landscape and the MoUs signed last week by President To Lam with China related to cross-border railway development and Chinese COMAC planes. Next to Malaysia, where another KLIA service mishap is making headlines - this time related to the breakdown of its luggage delivery system. We look at how Singapore tourism and passenger numbers on Singapore Airlines proved resilient during a challenging first quarter of the year. Plus, we address different environmental issues for the Komodo National Park in Indonesia and the Chocolate Hills in the Philippines. Finally, we return to Singapore to discuss the role of heritage in society and its travel industry as rising costs, an ageing population and general disinterest among younger generations question the viability of traditional businesses brought to the city-state by immigrants from across Asia that are an integral part of the Singapore story.

"I wouldn't want to be either of them... What a mess to inherit" On this week’s kickstarter show, Gary and Hannah head to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines in search of answers to the region’s big travel and tourism questions. As the Middle East war's economic impacts bite, Malaysia considers extending its year-long Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign into 2027, an arrivals slump in Boracay adds gloom to the Philippines' tourism outlook, and Thailand considers a mandate to make travel insurance mandatory for all visitors. Meanwhile, ASEAN SuperApp Grab eases into the AI travel space with a focus on hotel booking, local food and, its major play, cross-border e-payments. Plus, what's behind Garuda Indonesia's huge 2025 financial loss? ("It's still melded to its past problems"), and new Tourism Ministers are appointed in Thailand and the Philippines.

"Could South East Asia's travel landscape look different in 12-18 months time?" The economic impacts of war in the Middle East are writ large. The region imports huge quantities of oil, LNG, jet fuel, petrochemicals and fertilisers, which support businesses across many sectors. Fuel shortages are impacting the cost and supply of electricity, and governments are encouraging people and businesses to reduce energy usage. Some countries are implementing work-from-home policies, and food price inflation is already evident. But what about the travel sector? The cost and scarcity of jet fuel are among the many factors that travel and tourism players must contend with in the coming months. This week, Gary and Hannah start the weekend by addressing some of the broader outcomes of war for travel across South East Asia, Asia Pacific and beyond. What are the key lessons to be learned? How do they compare, or differ, to the Covid pandemic? And how might we be talking about these issues in 12 months time?

"Fuel now accounts for 50-55% of its operating costs. That previously was 30-35%". As we commence Week 6 of war in the Middle East, airline strategies are shifting as cost pressures intensify. South East Asia's LCCs are once again facing the financial strain. Gary and Hannah start the week in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, plus Türkiye, Bahrain and Taiwan, in search of answers to the region's big travel questions. En route, we discuss Batik Air's decision to cut 35% of flights in April, following flight route and frequency retrenchments by VietJet, AirAsia and Cebu Pacific. Plus, we mull over Tony Fernandes' teaser comments about a tie-up with "a very large Turkish airline," and look at why start-up carrier SunPhuQuoc Airways has chosen Taipei for its first international route. We finish with another fascinating fashion and travel collab from Singapore, where the brilliant Asian Civilisations Museum is partnering with Japanese retail brand Uniqlo.