The South East Asia Travel Show

"How do you know your tourism activity's overall impact is beneficial to a community if you aren't measuring it?" This week, Gary and Hannah discuss economic leakages and quantifying the impacts on local communities of tour operations with Ewan Cluckie, Founder of Thailand-based Tripseed. Socio-economic sustainability in tourism is an under-scrutinised topic, but Tripseed is confronting it head-on. The company recently published phase 1 of its deeply researched Economic Distribution Disclosure Initiative, a set of tools and metrics designed to "drive transparency and positive impact within the local economy”. Ewan discusses why economic leakage is "particularly pronounced" in Thailand, and research related to other ASEAN countries. So, what are these leakages, how do you measure and compare them - and where does the money go? And, how can leakages be assessed for suppliers further along the chain, whose data might be tricky to obtain? Ewan also provides a heads-up about the areas that this innovative tourism impact project in South East Asia will address next - and the interest it has garnered from university research institutes and large private sector organisations.

"The pieces of South East Asia's post-pandemic tourism jigsaw are still being put into place". Regional travel and tourism trends continue to be impacted by the Covid era, both from a supply and demand perspective. So, as we march full steam into the final third of 2024, what were the Top 8 talking points in August 2024? On our monthly roundup, we discuss the fallout from Malaysia Airlines' decision to cut almost one-fifth of its capacity, assess the airline volumes into the region from China and dive into the factors behind the latest round of quarterly airline earnings. We also discuss Thailand establishing 18 Dark Sky Reserves to attract stargazing tourists and Ho Chi Minh City's promotion of 8 soft powers in a play to be a "cultural industrial hub." Plus, which two countries in the region are celebrating the inscription of new UNESCO World Heritage Sites? And which ASEAN nation has achieved a 101% recovery of its visitor arrivals so far this year compared to 2019?

"The Muslim friendly tourism and hospitality eco-system will be the next big thing in global tourism." Muslim tourism is forecast to be valued at USD225 billion worldwide by 2030, with ASEAN and Asia Pacific at the centre of future growth. To discuss the challenges and opportunities up ahead for the travel industry, Gary and Hannah welcome Nizran Noordin, Director General of the Islamic Tourism Centre, which is based in Malaysia. We discuss the efforts being made to support and promote the Muslim visitor economy in South East Asian nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines, plus regional markets like China, Russia, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau. We also address the challenges of developing standardised Muslim tourism branding, marketing and communications. Plus, Nizran outlines Malaysia's strategy to become a regional hub for Umrah pilgrims, and highlights some of the key themes at the upcoming 4th World Islamic Tourism Conference, which takes place in Kuala Lumpur in September. 

We are almost two-thirds through 2024. This year, more than ever, South East Asia's travel and tourism recovery and regrowth is being assessed through the lens of data and statistics. But quantifying every aspect of tourism obfuscates the dynamic political, economic, societal, technological and environmental factors behind those numbers. So, this week Gary and Hannah ask and answer 8 critical questions about the direction of regional travel in 2024, and beyond – without referencing data. Can we go an entire show without stating Thailand’s latest monthly arrivals or air passenger data at Changi? En route, we discuss political leadership changes in Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, the ongoing LCC rebuild, the return of Chinese travellers at scale and disruption in the aircraft manufacturing sector. Plus, what's next for Asian currency values and the impact on travel, casino legalisation in Thailand, visa waivers, and m-pox planning across the region? And why have high-speed railway proposals become a governmental "must have" across ASEAN in 2024?

Land-locked Laos is a beautiful part of South East Asia, where tourism is coming back to life despite tough economic times. Overland travel is a dynamic driver, following the launch in 2023 of the cross-border China-Laos railway, and - last month - a new train link between Bangkok and Vientiane. To navigate Laos's changing travel landscape, Gary is joined by Jason Rolan, Tourism Specialist and Senior Partner at RDK Group, and Benny Kong, Co-Founder of Discover Laos Today. In a broad-ranging chat, we address the first-half year visitor arrivals to Laos, and its top inbound markets - and the latest visa entry measures designed to attract more visitors from selected markets. We also discuss changing visitor perceptions, booming hotel investment and infrastructure development, notable shifts in seasonality and labour supply challenges in the hospitality sector. Plus, Benny talks about the popular response to the EV tours and self-drive EV car rentals his company has introduced in three parts of the country - including a vintage-style guided EV trip around Luang Prabang, which is building a viral buzz on social media. 
 

July is a busy season. Chinese summer holiday tourists returned to the region in large numbers, while destinations across ASEAN implemented various measures to boost their full-year tourism arrivals. And we had some extreme weather events as well. So, what were the Top 8 travel and tourism talking points in July? In our monthly round-up, Gary and Hannah travel around ASEAN, with stopovers in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, plus China and India. En route, we discuss TikTok's latest travel play in Thailand and Indonesia, jet planes returning to KL's Subang Airport after more than two decades and growing legal pressure on illegal tour operators. And, a new survey shows that Chinese tour groups are smaller and younger than pre-pandemic. Plus, is Bali the new benchmark in the battle to attract Chinese and Indian tourists? How many countries worldwide does Singapore's power-packed passport enable its citizens to visit visa-free?  And why hasn't Netflix series The Mole been promoted in Malaysia, despite being filmed around the country?

SAF. Future Fuels. Hydrogen. Electric. Hybrid. Aviation contributes approx 2-3% of global CO2 emissions, with the majority being from aircraft movements. But how bad could it get? And what steps are being taken - and how quickly - by governments, regulators, airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airports to reduce emissions at scale? To address these big issues, Gary welcomes back to the show Shantanu Gangakedkhar, Senior Consultant, Aerospace & Defense, at Frost & Sullivan. Shantanu recently wrote a White Paper called Sustainable Technologies in Aviation, and speaks at aviation conferences worldwide. Decarbonising our skies is complex, and will require an entire turnaround of the airline and airport sectors. It will also incur costs that will be passed onto travellers. But how quickly can governments and regulators push through mandates to speed up progress? And, the big question, is Net Zero by 2050 actually achievable? A fascinating deep dive into the critical issues around air travel, air pollution and climate impact. 
 
 

The symbiosis of food and tourism is not a new topic, but the contexts are changing. Across ASEAN and Asia Pacific, fast-moving trends in food tourism are driven by social media videos and tasting tests and a raft of culinary awards, guides, ratings and reviews. Beyond changing traveller appetites, vital issues - such as climate impact, resource allocation, automated farming techniques, and fair pricing for food producers - are gaining urgency. This week, Gary is joined by Jens Thraenhart, Former Executive Director of Mekong Tourism & Former CEO of the Barbados Tourism Board, to discuss these issues, and many more, which were addressed at the inaugural UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia Pacific in Cebu, the Philippines. The event addressed the opportunities and challenges ahead for food tourism across the region, and the issues that impact the food chain and agricultural production as tourism trends diversify. Gary and Jens also reflect on the key themes discussed by government delegations and affiliate members at the 36th Joint Meeting of the UN Tourism Commissions for East Asia & the Pacific and South Asia, also in Cebu. This week's show is adapted from the High-Yield Tourism Podcast. To find out more, visit: www.highyieldtourism.com