The South East Asia Travel Show

After 2 months of high anticipation, Bali has confirmed it will not reopen to international visitors on 11 September. Instead, the Island of the Gods will likely rely on domestic travel only until the end of the year. This is a huge financial and psychological blow for Indonesia's travel economy - but perhaps not a great surprise. This week, Gary and Hannah discuss the national, regional and global factors that conspired against Bali's inbound tourism reboot. What will be the consequences for the tourism sector in Indonesia and South East Asia? And with 2020 fast running out, where do the region's embattled travel businesses turn to next for hope, inspiration and much-needed revenues?  

With flight capacity in South East Asia operating at -65% compared to pre-pandemic levels, the region's tourism sector is fighting for its survival. Borders remain slammed shut and airline fleets are largely redundant. The pressure is mounting on domestic tourists to keep the industry afloat. But despite positive stories in the national media, huge challenges exist. Consumers remain wary of taking flights even on short routes, hotels are surviving on weekend bookings, inter-state restrictions apply in some countries, and although large discounts are being offered, domestic travellers are spending cautiously. This week, Gary and Hannah take a trip through Cambodia, Bali, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore to assess whether domestic tourism can provide a stop-gap lifeline until inbound and outbound travel resume. Listen out, too, for a gigantic clap of tropical thunder in mid-pod!

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: ‘The Land of COVID’ - Media, ministers and government spokespeople are lashing out at each other in South East Asia; Zero Tourism Until 2021 in Thailand - Webinar comments by the Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand go viral around the world; Green Zones to Nowhere for Malaysia - Tourism Minister says that travel bubbles are impossible to negotiate if countries refuse to open their borders; 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; and Eco-Tourism Inspiration in Laos - Conservation efforts in the nation’s largest protected park offer new hope for sustainability in tourism.

South East Asia is blessed with a spectacular array of island destinations, including the world's largest archipelago and the planet's 2nd, 3rd and 6th-largest islands. With such a diversity of offshore travel options, will more governments promote their islands as test cases to reopen domestic, and perhaps international, tourism? All eyes are currently looking towards Bali and Indonesia, but Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar are among the countries that may promote island tourism above all else. This week's island hop through South East Asia also takes in the latest travel developments across the region. Gary and Hannah also discuss how idyllic island getaways such as Maldives and Seychelles plan to reboot tourism.

Listen to a 1-minute super-express version of this week's (15-minute) The Friday Rewind - which assesses the week's 5 top tourism talking points in South East Asia!

In episode 2 of The Friday Rewind, Gary and Hannah deliver an express, 15-minute recap of 5 red-hot talking points in South East Asian travel from the past 7 days. Today's discussion points are; 1) COVID-19 Lockdown Meltdown in Vietnam; 2) Malaysia Airlines Gets a USD300 million Bailout... Then Doesn’t!; 3) Cambodia Cancels Flights from Malaysia & Indonesia; 4) Taiwan Stands Super Tough on Tourism ... and, finally, some uplifting news... 5) Thai Tourism Takes the Field with Leicester City in the Premier League.

With few signs of movement on border re-openings in South East Asia, Gary and Hannah reflect on 7 lost months in travel and tourism. As August looms into view, several big questions remain unanswered. So, what have been the landmark events and milestones of 2020 so far? What outcomes have surprised, challenged and discouraged the travel industry the most? Is survival now the overarching goal for the rest of 2020? Can South East Asia reclaim its status as the world's most dynamic travel region? Will tourism be domestic and, hopefully, regional only for the foreseeable future? Are there lessons and inspirations to learn from other lifestyle and consumer sectors? And why did 'mojito romance' merit a mention? All this and more in the 30th episode of The South East Asia Travel Show!

This week, Gary and Hannah zone-in on a persistent COVID-19 pressure point: consumer sentiment and the travel fear factor. How are fear and anxiety impacting domestic tourism, and shaping attitudes towards border re-openings and the prospects for inbound and outbound travel? Featuring examples from Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, plus China, Japan and India, the discussion dives deep into the fearful factors discouraging travel bookings. Against this gloomy backdrop, will the Oxford and Chinese vaccine trials prove an inflection point that reveals fragments of light after 7 dark, unforgiving months for travel and tourism?